Dehradun: Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Saturday said that women would first be inducted into the military police before considering other options in the armed force for them.
“First, we will start with women as military police jawans, will take next step after its success,” General Rawat told media after attending a Passing out Parade ceremony here.
“Because many times, when people go to the operation, we have to face the people and many a times ladies come in front of us,” he said.
Reportedly, General Rawat had announced a few days back that soon the Indian Army would be considering women for combat roles.
General Rawat said that the process to allow women in combat roles is ongoing and they will be recruited for positions in the military police.
Presently, women are only being recruited into selective areas of the army like medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings.
According to reports, India will be joining countries like Germany, Australia, Canada, the United States, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel that have already allowed women in combat roles in their army.
Last year, in a major step forward, Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh became the first women fighter pilots to be formally commissioned by the Indian Air Force.
ANI