Indian Army promotes five women officers to Colonel

In a first, women officers serving with the Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and the Corps of Engineers have been approved to the rank of Colonel.

The five women officers selected for Colonel Time Scale rank are Lt Col Sangeeta Sardana from Signals, Lt Col Sonia Anand and Lt Col Navneet Duggal from EME and Lt Col Reenu Khanna and Lt Col Ritcha Sagar from the Engineers.

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A selection board of the Indian Army has cleared the way for their promotion to the rank of Colonel (Time Scale) after the completion of 26 years of service.

Previously, promotion to the rank of Colonel was only applicable to women officers in the Army Medical Corps (AMC), Judge Advocate General (JAG) and the Army Education Corps (AEC). The first woman officer to get promoted to the rank of Colonel belongs to JAG.

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“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 geode,-neutral Army," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

-PTC News