Government approves army proposal to induct female officers in artillery

According to a Union Cabinet minister, the central government has approved the Indian Army’s decision to induct female officers into the Regiment of Artillery. The decision to induct women officers into the Artillery was made on March 20, according to Ajay Bhatt, Minister of State for Defence, who informed the Lok Sabha on March 31. He was responding to a question from BJP MP Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt of Vadodara, who had asked whether the government intends to include women in Artillery units, and if so, what steps have been taken so far. The Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, announced in January that a proposal to induct female officers into the Regiment of Artillery had been sent to the government. The General stated at the time that gender empowerment is a priority in the Army and that women are expected to excel in the Artillery. The exact number of female officers inducted into the Artillery will not be known until the next batch of officers from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai is commissioned later this year.