The central government has announced that women officers can now get permanent commissions in 10 branches of the Indian Army. The Ministry of Defence in a statement on Tuesday said it has taken necessary steps to ensure that women, who were earlier inducted for short service commission, get permanent commission in the armed forces.

In his Independence Day speech last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the grant of permanent commission for women officers in the armed forces.

Permanent commission will be granted to women officers inducted in branches such as signals, engineers, army aviation, army air defence, electronics and mechanical engineers, army service corps, army ordinance corps and intelligence.

Short service commission women officers will be required to give their option for permanent commission before completing four years of commissioned service and will be able to choose their specialisation, said the ministry.

The government had earlier approved the same for the Air Force, where all branches including fighter pilots are open for women officers. “In the Indian Navy, all non-sea going branches/cadre/specialisation have been opened for induction of women officers through short service commission,” the ministry said.

In addition to education and law and naval constructor branch/cadre, short service commission women officers have been made eligible for permanent commission in the naval armament branch, a move at par with male officers.

The ministry said a proposal to induct three new training ships for the Navy is underway. “This will provide the requisite infrastructure for training of both men and women officers,” it said. “The Indian Navy will start inducting women in all branches, once the training ships are in place.”