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Friday, September 26, 2008

Permanent Commission for Women

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Women can now serve as Permanent Commissioned officers in the three services. The proposal for PRC for women has been approved. Now Lady Officers would be able to serve in the JAG Branch, Education Branches of the three services, Accounts Branch of the IAF and the Naval Constructor Branch of the IN. Was long overdue.....

Formal announcement would be issued soon by the MoD


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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alas !! Better Late than Never. The Moment has finally arrived. But it looks a little too late for a person like me, who was part of the first course of Women Officers inducted into the IAF in 1992 in the Ground Duty branch (education). Having just retired from the IAF two months ago (or rather forced to retire), I was told to quitely hang my uniform without any pensionary benefits even after completing a long stint of 15 years. Nothing to fall back upon and left totally in the lurch, I have since been looking for a second career option in the civy street. The most shocking aspect was that I am not even entitled for a status of a retired military officer even after serving the nation for 15 long years. I can recall the numerous ocassions, trying to convince all those who mattered, for considering the Permanent Commission for atleast the Support Branches of Armed Forces. I only wish that the Govt calls me back so that I can once again wear my uniform.

Abhinav Choudhary said...

Women have been flowerpots, only good for show line up for inspections or LO duties and are a nuisance in uniform wherever serious work is involved. Poorly trained, having innumerable complexes, always ready to think every one is against them and never willing to learn traditions, or the military way of life, if have a family they will sacrifice their professionalism to domestic pressures, CRY at the slightest pretext, or Flutter eyes to get favours,refuse to take the grooming that another young officer might get.They think army is a book of rules and little do they realise its team work.
They have no idea about Espirite - de - corps. they now form part of groups where to have one odd person in a team just splits it on more occasions than one.

BUT

before all of you start a flag march and shower anger, i would say its not that simple and women themselves are only partially to be blamed for it.

The fear of a CO that the lady officer will create a problem or become a problem leads them to the best course which is to just shelter her

....the lady officers inability to command her troops effectively, since she is one isolated person in a male dominated organisation... troops from villages who do not accept her as a leader but only as a forced authority on them which in the functional sense is a BIG compromise in the unit standards....Peculiarity of military service....where a male officer might go and live with the forces his unit supports like take a convoy of vehicles...the lady officer cant be sent....even if detailed some have comeback to say " where will i dry my UGs?" For Gods Sake this was operation Parakram when we were preparing to go to War in a few days...

There are so many such instances...

yes i AM FOR THEIR EQUALITY....BUT WHY HAVE WOMEN AS ONLY OFFICERS???

if a lady officer has in her command even 25% PBOR as women will she not be able to command effectively? we can send her on duties where other women accompany her and she is socially safer.... Give her no special consideration treat them equally too, and they must expected to be treated uniformly...!

Right now they are a protected lot...but it seems things will be better in future.
Rt now her existence disrupts the professional environment, at many times we have to move into virgin territory...work in darkness in open country...solution They are not taken in field exercises and then she lacks the experience which is essential for her professional growth.
And to point out that since there are no war and we stay in buildings now a days and in civil type environment is counter productive as then one could say why have wpn systems also? Army is a WAR MACHINE and they must fit in inthat role in mind. At this time they are generally always in staff appointments, sheltered, get no grooming, regimental grounding, have no real experience of the real work and therefore inept in analysing the real operational parameters. This is specially true in corps of Engineers, Signals, EME and ASC. JAG and Education Branch they are slightly better as these are not involving command of troops. Also Although from services or supporting arms male officers do infantary attachments in operational capacity in fields high Altitudes, Rashtriya Rifles and Assam Rifles in combat role...with permt comission they will seek promotions to the same few vacancies with sheltered profile!

Most women officers are like how i described above.
BUT 5% are really good and i hope this increases for the better now since they will get better training and will be given more professional exposure to specialist courses and will have a career to look forward to.

I know Women Officers will retort with anecdotes of un professional male officers too. Well they re there too. Only the proportions are reversed.
If Women are upto the real task without demanding special treatment...I have no problems in saluting them. Afterall in the army we do not look at the colour, religion, ethnicity or hopefully if they come for forward positively, Gender.

Way to go women. All the best.

We are watching. Anticipating a healthy outcome in this new round.
All the best.

Anonymous said...

WOMEN ARE WEL COME PROVIDED....

1. NO TAX REBATE BECAUSE THEY R WOMEN..
2. WILL DO EVERYTHING AT PAR TO MEN..INCL PHYSICALS..
3.WILL DO NI DUTIES..OTHERWISE MEN ONLY END UP DOING IT AND WHERE STR IS LESS IT PINCHES..
4. NO SPL ORDERS R ISSUED BY HIGHER UPS TO COs TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AND NO LIST OF DOS AND DONTS FOR THEM..

@ abhi...
dear friend can u tell what will u do with women in pbor also..its army not police service..

Anonymous said...

A welcome step, indicates a maturing democracy and a matured army. I certainly wont mind serving under a woman CO, she has to worth her salt like any male CO.

Anonymous said...

Well for starters in the valley most of the info and wpns moves amongst the women these days as Army doesnt touch them, so for starters if I have a Platoon of Women Soldiers I could employ them for resolution of this LARGE Lacunae.

In services if we let them do , or make them perform military and regtl duties without prejudice, they can do pretty much everything.

More Lady Officers in Services are possible and then Guys like me ex NDA and IMA dont have to be stuck in the services.

Just initial thoughts.

the problem is more within us that we dont train them, then we dont groom them. We gotta be strict with the bit**** and get them to work.
Are we upto it???

Most will put charges of sexual Harrasment if we make them perform, rt?

Maybe not gotta find ways to employ them now that they are here.

Anonymous said...

dear abhi

i am sure you are ditched by your wife or your mother must have done to your father.the result is seen in your letter.how cruel u behave with the women in general is seen in ur letter.
u should understand that the women are also capable of doing the job like you .but when ???? when they are physically fit !!!! do not be happy saying that they are unfit.there are certain times when they will be physically unfit (like ur beloved women) some periods. but i am sure u will worry about their looking to dry their uws as u said. emagine if the women are not unfit sometimes how u will exist in this world???????

another wise man like u has said they will complain of sexual harrsement.yes if the friend of urs does not look at these women as his mother or sister they will .
have anytime his mother or sisters complained of sexual harrsement?.if not then be sure ur look and attitude will not force the women in uniform to complain against u.

Abhinav Choudhary said...

@swams

These comments posted earlier are more in line with the experiences with having to see them work in the services.

Most are unfit, psychologically weak and above all incapable of being trained - as Army training or grooming has nothing humane about it...and these girls seldom try hard...mostly they scuttle the system by tears, smiles, coy looks, women problems, and if all else fails - a despondent mother-in-law : where applicable.

I did say i'll be glad to have them work equally, but as of now they come in the unit and all of us other officers understand that her work load is now got to be done by us....

Do not mention about my family, You are trying to win arguments by this? I have 13 years of working in the same organisation. I know what I am talking about.

Any way I have happy balanced relationships all around, OK? remember I am an Army Officer and my judgement does'nt get clouded by emotions-even if they be there- these are practical state of affairs in the armed forces where women are at best tolerated. And yes mostly incompetent.

I am positive they will be better off now since with permt commission they will look at the services as a career and will be more atuned to seeking and discharging their responsibilities professionally.

Amen!

Anonymous said...

i have personal exp with lady officers that too pc being a med off and i fully agree with abhi.
however i also agree with someone who has given certain terms and conditions for LOs to follow. i would like to add one more condition which my dear friend has left out and that is "willingness to move at shortest possible notice on temp duty without cribbing ever to their supirior officer".

Anonymous said...

After reading all the comments against womwen officers, it really feels bad. But I know to a large extent we are to blame. However one cannot generalise. There are enough lady officers who with their dedication and positive attitude can put their male counterparts to shame. And let me point out that there are enough male officers who are ghar jamais to the fauj.

Anonymous said...

Just give a chance to the wives and/or daughters of the above bloggers to don the miltary uniform. I bet they will run and grasp this opportunity. All their talks and views published here will vanish with a U-turn. What should i say psychophancy or sheer hippocracy of a narrow mindset.

Anonymous said...

we should also understand the biological requirements of the ladies which are at times more problamatic for the male officers serving with them. though there are ghar jamaies of fauj also but things can be forced upon them which is not possible with the lady officers. if our govt really wants ladies to be involved in security of the country i suggest creat another para mil force where there are purely ladies battalion incl offrs, and pbors.

ladies please spare army for good!!!

ladies pl dont feel i am against you but i am also not in favour of your mixing with the mcp attitude of the army.

Anonymous said...

dear abhi and one more med lady officer
thanks for your reply.being 13 yrs service thank god u have good relation with the LOs.
MY QUESTION AND MY REQUEST IS WHY THE LADY OFFICERS WHEN THEY ARE UNWILLING TO WORK AND PUT UP THEIR RESIGNATION PAPER ARE NOT RELEASED IMMEDIATELY(TAKE FEW MONTHS).BUT WHAT IS THE CONSTITUTION SAYING ABOUT THIS.CAN ANY ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO REFUSE THEIR RESIGNATION?DO THEY HAVE RIGHT TO RESIGN FROM THE ARMY?? ARE THEY AS SLAVES TO WORK IN THE ARMY??IS IT NOT THE SOVEREIGN COUNTRY ??
WHEN THEY PUT UP THEIR PAPERS SCRUTINISE PROPERLY AND PAY THEM IF ANYTHING IS DUE TO THEM OR SAY THEY DO NOT GET ANYTHING .INSTEAD THE REFUSAL TO RELEASE THEM WHEN THEY REALLY FEEL ARMY SHOULD NOT BE THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER WHY DO U HOLD THEM BACK.ULTIMATELY THIS WILL LEAD TO UNPRODUCTIVITY ,UNWILLING TO WORK SO THAT THE UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENT IS CREATED RESULTING TO DESPAIR.A AS PER THE ARMY U MAY FEEL THEY ARE GETTING HANDSOME PAY,POSITION ETC.WHEN THEY DO NOT WANT THE SAME WHY DO U KEEP THEM FORCEFULLY??REMEMBER IT IT A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION. IF THE JUDICIARY IN ANY CASE INTERFERES AND FAVOURS THE PETITIONERS AND ARMY IS PROVED WONG IT WILL BE A SHAME FOR U ALL IN OUR COUNTRY.

SO MY REQUESTTO U MY FRIENDS ,AS OFFICERS U ALSO CAN RECOOMEND TO UR HIGHERUPS TO GET RID OF THE UNWILLING OFFICERS WHETHER MNS OR ANY LADY OFFICERS.
PLEASE REMEMBER WHEN I SAY THIS MUCH I ALSO KNOW THE ARMY AS WELL AS THE CONDITIONS OF THE FEMALE OFFICERS BECAUSE ,I RETIRED AS AN OFFICER IN THE SAME ARMY WHERE U ARE AT PRESENT.U R ONLY 13 YRS OLD IN THE ARMY. all i want is have good will towards the LOs and no need to be sympathetic.they do not need urs. but do not under estimate or humiliate.create a codusive environment and u also enjoy ur job and let them also enjoy theirs.
regards to abhi.sorry if i had hurt u dear.we are friends.