NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy is closely monitoring the training of its first batch of Agniveers including women at the INS Chilka training establishment in Odisha, with the navy’s chief of personnel Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi on Tuesday visiting the facility to take stock of how their training is progressing, officials familiar with the matter said.
The navy’s first batch of Agniveers consists of 3,000 trainees including 341 women.
Vice Admiral Tripathi interacted with the trainees and was briefed on the preparedness for training of the first batch of Agniveers who reported at INS Chilka in November-end, a navy spokesperson said on Wednesday. “He was also briefed on initiatives undertaken for the induction of women Agniveers,” the spokesperson added.
Tripathi motivated them to pursue their career path with core values of the navy - duty, honour and courage. The trainees were selected under the Agnipath model for short-term induction of soldiers into the three services. Those recruited under the new model are called Agniveers.
INS Chilka, the sprawling lakeside campus, earlier got a raft of facilities to make life easier for the women who are on the threshold of a naval career. From earmarking two new accommodation blocks exclusively for them to installing sanitary pad vending and disposal machines, setting up of more toilets for women trainees and a separate dining area to hiring women staff, the navy took several measures to make the training establishment women-friendly.
The navy began inducting women as officers three decades ago, but this is the first time they are being recruited as sailors.
{{/usCountry}}The navy began inducting women as officers three decades ago, but this is the first time they are being recruited as sailors.
{{/usCountry}}Other changes made at INS Chilka include installation of security cameras and hiring women as matrons, swimming instructors and safai karamcharis, as previously reported. The training establishment has 50 officers in different roles, including 13 women officers.
INS Chilka sent teams to training establishments of the Corps of Military Police, the Border Security Force and the Central Industrial Security Force (all of them train women), and the inputs gathered were distilled before finalising the training regimen and other changes.
The central government on June 14 announced the Agnipath scheme, replacing the legacy system of recruitment to lower the age profile of the armed forces, ensure a fitter military and create a technically skilled war fighting force capable of meeting future challenges. The scheme seeks to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in the regular cadre for 15 years after another round of screening.