Five women officers have been commissioned into the Indian Army’s Regiment of 1, a first in Indian military history, and three of them have been assigned to frontline formations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav, Lt Pious Mudgil, and Lt Akanksha have joined the Army’s top artillery regiments after successfully finishing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. Three of the five female officers are assigned to units stationed near China’s borders while the other two are placed in challenging locations close to Pakistan’s border.
The Regiment of Artillery is a significant combat support unit that consists of about 280 units that operate different artillery gun systems, such as Bofors howitzers, Dhanush, M-777 howitzers, and K-9 Vajra self-propelled guns.
According to the sources, the young female officers are being assigned to various types of important artillery units, where they will receive the necessary training and experience to operate rockets, field surveillance and target acquisition (SATA) systems, and other important tools under trying circumstances.
After completing their training at #OTA, #Chennai, five women officers were commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery for the first time ever. The Director General of Artillery (Designate), welcomed the Women Officers in the Regiment during the #POP.#IndianArmy… pic.twitter.com/MKbn5xAEMz
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 29, 2023
Lt Saini has been commissioned into a SATA regiment, Lt Dubey and Lt Yadav have been assigned to field regiments, Lt Mudgil has been assigned to a medium regiment, and Lt Akanksha has been assigned to a rocket regiment.
The appointment of female officers into the Regiment of Artillery is evidence of the Indian Army’s progressive development. Gen Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff, made the decision to place female officers into artillery divisions in January. Later, the government agreed to the proposal.
“The Indian Army has expanded the role of women by allowing women officers into the Regiment of Artillery. Five Women Officers have joined the Regiment of Artillery after successful completion of training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai on April 29,” a source stated.
As per a representative, female officers face the same possibilities and difficulties as their male counterparts. After completing their training at the OTA, 19 male officers were also commissioned into the artillery battalions. On Saturday, the OTA held it’s passing out procession.
“The culmination of the passing out parade was the moment of commissioning, when the young women cadets took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution and received their rank insignia, signifying their entry into the Regiment of Artillery,” an official remarked.
Senior military commanders, including Lt Gen Adosh Kumar, Colonel Commandant, and the Director General of Artillery (Designate), as well as dignitaries and the families of the newly commissioned officers, were present at the ceremony.
“This significant event marked a major milestone in the journey of women officers in the Indian Army, who have been breaking barriers to serve their country with valour and distinction,” he asserted.
The Army started the process of integrating women into the military police in 2019. The military police’s responsibilities include maintaining order in army installations and cantonments, stopping soldiers from breaking laws and regulations, ensuring logistics are maintained for both peace and war and providing assistance to civil police as needed.
Captain Shiva Chauhan, a member of the Army Corps of Engineers, was assigned to a frontline post in Siachen Glacier in January. This was the first operational deployment of a female officer to the highest battlefield in the world.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Cadet Rekha Singh, the wife of the late Naik (Nursing Assistant) Deepak Singh, a hero in Galwan, was inducted into the Indian Army as a Lieutenant. She graduated from the Officers Training Academy in Chennai after completing her training, and she has since been assigned to a frontline base along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
#Proud #VeerNari
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 29, 2023
Woman Cadet Rekha Singh, wife of Late Naik(Nursing Assistant) Deepak Singh, #VirChakra(Posthumous) got commissioned into #IndianArmy after completing her training from #OTA #Chennai. Nk Deepak made the supreme sacrifice during the #Galwan Clashes. pic.twitter.com/zzI3tCnBZj
Deepak Singh was one of the 20 brave Indian soldiers killed in a skirmish with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Galwan Valley in June 2020, and he was posthumously awarded Vir Chakra for his heroism in November 2021.
“After my husband passed away I decided to join Indian Army and started preparing for it. Today my training has been completed and I have become a lieutenant. I am feeling very proud and I would like to advise all the women candidates out there to believe in themselves and do whatever they want to do without thinking about what others will say,” the newly appointed officer mentioned.
Deepak had been married to Rekha for 15 months when he and 19 other troops were martyred in the clash with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in 2020.
186 cadets, including five gentlemen cadets and 24 women cadets from Bhutan, completed their training at the Officers Training Academy. A military parade at the Parameshwaran Drill Square of Officers Training Academy, Chennai marked the passing out ceremony of the officers on Saturday. A total of 121 Gentlemen Cadets and 36 Women Cadets Courses got commissioned into various Arms and Services of the Indian Army. Bangladesh Army General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed was the reviewing officer for the ceremony.
The newly commissioned officers, donning their ranks and regimental accoutrements, swore allegiance to the country and the Constitution of India, committing to ‘Serve with Honour’ to safeguard the Honour of the country.
