Indian Army grants time scale Colonel rank to women officers

A Selection Board of the Indian Army on Monday cleared the way for the promotion of five women officers to the Colonel rank after completion of 26 years of reckonable service.

This is the first time that women officers serving with the Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and the Corps of Engineers has been approved to the rank of Colonel.

Previously, promotion to the rank of Colonel was only applicable for women officers in the Army Medical Corps (AMC), Judge Advocate General (JAG) and the Army Education Corps (AEC).

The widening of promotion avenues to more branches of the Indian Army is a sign of increasing career opportunities for women officers. Combined with the decision to grant permanent commission to women officers from a majority of branches of the Indian Army, this step defines the Indian Army's approach towards a gender-neutral Army.

The five women officers selected for Colonel Time Scale rank are Lt Colonel Sangeeta Sardana from the Corps of Signals, Lieutenant Colonel Sonia Anand, Lieutenant Colonel Navneet Duggal from the Corps of EME and Lieutenant Colonel Reenu Khanna, Lieutenant Colonel Ritcha Sagar from the Corps of Engineers.

( With inputs from ANI )

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