First lot of women officers to join Army's artillery regiments this month

The first lot of women will be commissioned in the Army's artillery regiments later this month when they pass out of the Officers' Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, The Times of India (ToI) has reported.

This will be the first time that women will be trained to use howitzers and rocket systems. Women officers already fly fighter planes in the Indian Air Force and serve on ships in the Indian Navy.

The Centre has approved the Indian Army's decision to induct women officers in the artillery regiments, minister of state for defence Ajay Bhatt informed the Lok Sabha on March 31. The decision to induct female officers in the artillery was taken on March 20, a report published in The Indian Express (IE) said.

The minister was replying to a question by BJP MP Ranjanaben Dhananjay Bhatt from Vadodara. She had asked for clarity on women joining the artillery units as officers. To her question, the minister replied, "Government has approved the induction of women in the Regiment of Artillery on March 20, 2023."

In January 2023, General Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff, announced a proposal to induct women officers in the artillery regiments had been sent to the Centre. He had said that gender empowerment in the Army is an area of priority for the forces. He added that women would do very well in the artillery.

It is important to note that artillery is the branch of the land-based forces that handles large guns and engages the enemy from a distance. It is the largest in size after the infantry. The artillery regiments have various calibres of guns, surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, mortars, and unmanned aerial assets.

As per data shared by the government on March 17, 6,993 women officers were currently serving in the Army. This number includes female officers serving in the Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps, and Military Nursing Service.