An Indian Army selection board has paved the way for the promotion of five women officers to colonel (time scale) rank, post completion of 26 years of reckonable service, the Ministry of Defence averred in an official statement published on August 23.
The five women officers who will be awarded the prestigious colonel time scale rank are Lieutenant Colonel Sangeeta Sardana from the Corps of Signals, Lt Col Sonia Anand and Lt Col Navneet Duggal from the Corps of EME, and Lt Col Reenu Khanna and Lt Col Ritcha Sagar from the Corps of Engineers.
According to the statement given by the Defence Ministry, this is the first time ever wherein women officers serving with Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), and Corps of Engineers have been awarded the rank of colonel.
Earlier, promotion to this rank was conferred only for women officers in the Army Medical Corps (AMC), Judge Advocate General (JAC), and Army Education Corps (AEC).
A note from the Ministry of Defence read: “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.”
