The NDA’s step towards inclusion

The number of applications also shows how an enthusiastic and willing, but excluded, constituency is embracing the first opportunity it has got to exercise its right

On Saturday, this newspaper reported that a third of the students appearing for the entrance exam for the National Defence Academy (NDA) on November 14 are women. The absolute number is significant — 178,000 women. This is testimony to how far the armed forces have evolved, with army chief General MM Naravane terming the induction of women in NDA as the first step towards gender equality, and anticipating a woman army chief in 40 years. The number of applications also shows how an enthusiastic and willing, but excluded, constituency is embracing the first opportunity it has got to exercise its right. This moment comes three decades after women were allowed into select branches of the armed forces as short service commission officers.

There are only 0.56% women officers in the Army, 1.08% in the Air Force and 6.5% in the Navy in the 1.4 million-strong armed forces (PTI)

The Supreme Court (SC) has pushed for levelling the playing field by sanctioning permanent commission for women officers in February 2020, something the defence ministry put into action five months later. The government was initially keen on allowing women to take the NDA exam in May 2022, and then allow the first batch of women cadets to be inducted in January 2023. The SC insisted on November 2021. The judicial push has helped.

General Naravane’s remarks indicate the manner in which the leadership of the force has internalised the move — this openness must percolate down the ranks and across every service. Currently, there are only 0.56% women officers in the Army, 1.08% in the Air Force and 6.5% in the Navy in the 1.4 million-strong armed forces. A more inclusive approach will not just be fair to women, but also enhance the quality of human resources in the armed forces.