Six female officers have been chosen for the esteemed Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), the only competitive course within the Indian Army that opens doors to promotions to higher formations within the force. This is a first.
Six of the 15 women who took the exam, according to sources in the defence establishment, were chosen, including one who will be attending the school with her husband.
The six female officers will enrol in Wellington’s esteemed war college, after the Army’s last year’s awarding of permanent commissions to female officers. Their academic year will begin in April of the following year.
Women officers who received permanent commissions now have the same opportunity as their male counterparts to advance in the Army’s ranks and hierarchies. The DSSC course is offered for the three Services’ Major and Lt Col comparable positions.
Selection to the DSSC is based on a competitive examination, in contrast to other schools in the Army including the National Defense College, High Command, and Higher Defence Management, which are all nominated. The completion of the course qualifies Army troops for staff postings to the Lt Col rank and offers them a benefit in selection-based promotions to the rank of Colonel.
All promotions up to the Colonel rank are time-based; one becomes a Major after seven years of service and a Lt Col after thirteen.
The DSSC, the only institution of its sort in India, moved to Wellington after 74 years in Quetta, Pakistan.
The DSSC course has been completed by a number of Service heads, notably Gen. Bipin Rawat, a former Chief of Defence Staff.
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