Defence and Security Alert Magazine (DSA) March 2017 Edition

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Volume 8 issue 6

March 2017

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editor’s note

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W

omen and war, women in war, and women in combat are the most recurring themes in the gender and conflict debate. Women suffer the most from war – is an adage as old as the human history. From being the items of plunder, to assault, as also from being widows to bereaved mothers, women have seen it all and suffered. Statistics are most commonly compiled about women as victims of war.

And the figures are most often horrific, from ancient times to the current Islamic State terror, it has been an unrelenting ride to hell.

Wars have also extracted other roles from women, as participants in uniform or otherwise. From the nursing staff of the 19th century campaigns to modern auxiliary women troopers, there has been a steady increase in their role during wars. While the First World War introduced women in uniform, it is the World War II that really showed their participation in numbers. From signal interception units, to pilots, drivers, aircraft machinists, to espionage, women saw it all in that terrible war.

Amongst partisan groups opposed to Nazism, their role was even more daring. From parachuting behind the enemy lines, to sabotage and assassination – they did it all.

In fact, the World War II was the first instance of women officially getting involved in combat, and today, this topic is debated seriously around the world. Of course, there are countries that are way ahead in debating these points than some others. The United States versus India, for instance. The US had introduced women to combat duties many years ago, especially in terms of flying missions.

In India, this is only a year old phenomenon, with the induction of the three women combat pilots in the Indian Air Force. There have been women pilots in the transport and helicopter streams for more than a decade but these three are gender pioneers.

Combat flying, though suffused with its own challenges, offers lesser chances of direct contact with the enemy, and it is the spectre of such contact that worries the sceptics.

After all, a woman combatant captured alive is more than just a valuable propaganda tool. She is vulnerable to unimaginable abuse and this is the main argument used by the naysayers to question the logic of exposing women to combat duties. There have been enough instances of

such abuse in the recent past, especially of the US women soldiers captured in Iraq.

There is also the issue of maternity leave and maternal duties for women in combat roles. Not that maternity will effect the ability to pull the trigger, so to say. But just the sheer stresses and requirements of maternal duties, vis-á-vis combat unit commitments. After all, sustaining maternal duties with military ones requires at least a crèche in the unit area. Something unimaginable so far.

So as a result if it seems, even as a perception, that certain preferences are being shown, then it is certain to be a negative impact on cohesion and command in the combat unit. No combat unit can survive perceptions of preference being shown to anyone, for any duty.

There is an additional argument used against induction of women into combat roles and which revolves around logistical and structural changes required to units. But that is specious at best since over years such changes have had to be made as weapons and equipment evolved.

As did manpower modifications too. So, this is basically an adjustment issue which can easily be overcomed.

There is a greater argument for women in noncombatant roles since they bring expertise and knowledge in the fields of management and logistics, both being the bedrocks of military efficiency. Some of the women officers have come with greater technical expertise, education and knowledge, than their male colleagues. There is every reason to encourage their induction into such roles, for they will also serve to encourage more women to aspire to those positions. As well as bringing greater efficiency into the officer corps, something which is sorely needed.

Higher quality of competition will bring in better quality of officers. Which is far more important than following the trend of western militaries in inducting women into combat duties. After all, changes must always be concomitant with domestic cultural norms and expectations. When those change, then gender and combat roles too may change.

Manvendra Singh

March 2017

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publisher’s view

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Volume 8 | Issue 6 | March 2017 Chairman Shyam Sunder Publisher and ceo Pawan Agrawal President Urvashi J Agrawal Director Shishir Bhushan Editorial Editor-in-Chief Manvendra Singh Associate Editor Supriya Aggarwal Assistant Editor Diana Mehra

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Editor: Manvendra Singh

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Post-Independence, progress has been seen in all spheres of the Indian society but the most commendable evolution has been in the overall reformation of the Indian women in these 70 years of freedom. There was a time till 1950s when girls and women were not allowed to study. But soon established women in India like Sarojini Naidu, Mahadevi Verma, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Bikaji Cama and others became inspirational to others. Barriers were broken and the girls started getting enrolled in schools and later in colleges and universities that set them on the path of mental development that was to pay dividends in decades to come.

By 1970 the scenario of girl education and their active role and participation in nation building saw a major shift. A big reason for this was Mrs Indira Gandhi who took the charge as the first woman Prime Minister. It became an inspiration to the womenfolk in the country. And after this, Indian women never looked back.

They are progressing and contributing in every field from teaching, banking, civil services to the foreign service. And many have even joined the police and security forces and the Indian Armed Forces.

The induction of women in the Armed Forces was a big challenge for the entire Indian society but it was accepted and today, there is a large number of women being inducted in all the three defence services. The initiative taken by the paramilitary Border Security Force to deploy women personnel at the international borders was highly appreciated. But unfortunately, women in the actual combat role were not accepted by the Army, Navy and Air Force. The initial resistance was on various psychological and physiological reasons but with women demonstrating equal capacity with men, the resistance has been abated. Finally, very recently, the Indian Air Force inducted three girls to be trained to become fighter pilots and it is expected that the year 2017 will see this first lot receiving Permanent Commissions and the opportunity to ‘paint the skies with glory’ which is the IAF’s motto.

India does not need examples of foreign militaries in deploying women in combat roles. We have the soul-stirring example of Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmibai, who fought the British on her horseback, the favoured mode of combat in ancient times.

So with a wish of seeing our women in the active combat zone in all the three services, I offer this edition of DSA dedicated to each woman in India.

This edition has very informative inputs from our experts on the role and challenges for women in combat role in the defence forces. I am sure every one concerned with women empowerment would love to flip each page, paragraph and even each line of this edition.

Jai Hind!

Pawan Agrawal @dsalert

Contents

An ISO 9001:2008 Certified Magazine

Gender Disparity In Military Achievements Ashok Sajjanhar

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Storming The Male Bastion Lt Gen Kamal Davar (Retd)

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Women’s Participation In Indian Defence Forces Dr Vijay Khare

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Bastion Breached In The IAF Air Marshal BK Pandey (Retd)

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Feedback On Women In The Army: Asset Or Liability?

Maj Gen Dr Mrinal Suman (Retd)

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Short Service, Permanent Commission Conundrum Prof Mondira Dutta

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Through The Prism Of A Young Indian Aditya Sharma

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Women Officers In Indian Navy Commodore Anil Jai Singh (Retd)

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A Voice With The Future: Role Model For Girls 32 Natasha More Reach The Top Of Their Jobs Manisha Chaurasiya

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Making Of A Female Combatant: A Three Stage Model Dheeraj PC

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Major Hub For Aircraft Supplies Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)

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How To Reduce It: Some Thoughts Anuradha Ravi

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The Metamorphosis From ‘Chhori’ To ‘Sir’ Lt Gen (Dr) Vijay Kumar Saxena (Retd)

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Case Study Of West Asian Nations Anu Sharma

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Women At War: Subhas Chandra Bose And The Rani Of Jhansi Regiment

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gender disparity DISPELLING FOG OF JUSTIFICATIONS

Gender Disparity in Military Achievements Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar raised the issue of ‘demoralisation’ of the troops if a woman comrade was to get captured by the enemy! It needs to be recognised that none of these arguments and explanations are peculiar to the Indian military establishment.

The first women fighter pilots of India in conversation with Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC and the then Air Chief Marshal, Arup Raha

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ndia’s the then Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha gave a huge impetus in support of gender equality in the Indian defence services when he announced on 26 October 2015 at the 83rd anniversary of the formation of the Indian Air Force that the air force will allow women to train as fighter pilots. By this announcement, he sought to demolish the so-called brass ceiling which forbade women to serve in combat roles in the defence services.

This was a momentous decision.

Although, Indian women have served in the Air Force, Navy and Army as support and technical staff since 1992, a combat role in any of the three Services was thus far not permitted. Raha’s announcement signalled that women pilots who had already flown helicopters and transporter aircrafts for the Indian Air Force would be able to take part in combat as well. The fact that women were already flying helicopters and transporter planes in the Indian Air Force had strengthened the argument that they should be allowed to become fighter pilots. To begin with, this will be done on an experimental basis for a period of

five years. The decision will be reviewed thereafter. Raha said that the decision to induct women into the fighting stream had been taken to meet the aspirations of young women in India. Combat roles in the Army and the Navy are still off limits due to a combination of operational concerns and logistical constraints.

In pursuance of this announcement, the first batch of three female pilots – Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh created history in June 2016 by being inducted in the Indian Air Force fighter squadron. On the completion of their training in mid-2017, they will get to fly fighter jets like the Sukhoi and Tejas.

Presidential Announcement

Ashok Anu Sajjanhar Sharma

The writer, a postgraduate in Physics from Delhi University and a career diplomat, has served as the Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia. He has also held several significant positions in Indian Embassies in Moscow, Tehran, Geneva, Dhaka, Bangkok, Washington and Brussels. He negotiated for India in the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations.

He has been an active participant in many of the International Seminars organised by the UNCTAD and the WTO.

Speaking to joint session of the two Houses of Parliament in 2016, President Pranab Mukherjee reaffirmed that India will soon allow women to take up combat roles in all sections of its military.

He said that the government had approved the induction of women as Short Service Commission officers and as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. He said that in the future, the government will induct women in all the fighter streams of the country’s Armed Forces. He added: “In our country Shakti, which

Time and again women in India have exhibited their exemplary bravery in undertaking challenging operations means power, is the manifestation of female energy. This Shakti defines our strength.”

Some defence personnel have expressed doubts about the wisdom of the decision. They have questioned the practicability of deploying women officers in bunkers and posts along the LoC amid heavy shelling and infiltration bids. Similarly, they have argued that warships and submarines have constricted spaces and only a few of the new warships (like the Shivalik-class stealth frigates) cater for individual bathrooms for some officers while the rest have to use open bathrooms. They contend that even the US and UK do not have women in front-line ground combat as of now. They maintain that the concept of gender equality is commendable but it would be necessary to draw the line somewhere March 2017

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gender disparity DISPELLING FOG OF JUSTIFICATIONS keeping in view the special nature of duties and responsibilities in the Armed Forces.

Permanent Commission Prime Target

Women soldiers argue that they should have the option to serve in combat roles. However, they also emphasise that the principal struggle remains to get more female Permanent Commission (PC) officers into different service branches since Short Service Commission (SSC) officers can only serve for a period ranging from 5-14 years. This prohibits women from rising to higher military ranks. They aver that if some women want combat roles, they should have the option to pursue their passion. Women officers however also acknowledge the potential operational hazards that could surface by further opening up branches to women ‘especially in direct ground combat roles’.

The IAF’s decision constitutes a major victory for women serving in the Indian military. It was only in 2010 that the Delhi High Court ruled that women be allowed to hold Permanent Commissions in the Army and Air Force, noting that female officers ‘deserve better from the government’. Another recent ruling in a case brought forward by female naval officers noted that the High Court would ‘frown upon any endeavour to block progress of women’ in the military.

Many countries already allow women to be fighter pilots. Russia and Turkey inducted women pilots during the World War II. Post world-war, Canada was the first country to induct women pilots in combat role in 1989. It was followed by Norway (1992), Netherlands and the USA (1993), UK (1994), France (1999), Israel (2001), Singapore (2003), Germany (2007) and China and Pakistan (2013). Women have unfortunately faced a backlash in some countries that allowed female pilots to fly in their air force. Afghanistan’s first female fixed-wing military pilot, Niloofar Rahmani, who flies a plane that ferries soldiers to battle, has been at the receiving end of threats from the Taliban.

It has taken the Indian Air Force quite some time to come on board with other nations that have already inducted women in fighter positions. By its very nature, this has been a slow and tortuous process.

Women were inducted to serve as officers in combat support arms and services in India since the early 1990s. Out of 1.3 million active personnel in the Indian Armed Forces, only 2.5 per cent are female.

The majority of 1436 women serve in the Indian Army; 1331 in the Indian Air Force and 532 in the Indian Navy. Amongst women currently serving in the IAF, there are 94 pilots and 14 navigators. They have so far been confined to non-combat roles and serve in transport and helicopter units.

Increased Profile

Symbolically, several recent events have raised the public profile of women in the military. Wing Commander Pooja Thakur was the first female officer to lead an inter-services guard of honour for American President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan before the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2015. The 66th Republic Day parade, also for the first time, witnessed what the

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Prime Minister called narishakti (woman power), with women contingents from the Army, Air Force and Navy marching down Rajpath.

This recent celebration of women in the military tends to conceal India’s history of caution and conservatism.

Women officers have served in India’s Armed Forces for 88 years. They were first inducted in the military nursing service in 1927 and as medical officers in 1943. It was to be another 49 years before independent India, after a cabinet decision in 1992, started hiring female officers in other branches of the Armed Forces principally under short service commissions. The government has granted Permanent Commission to women serving in the army’s legal and education corps, their corresponding branches in the Navy and Air Force, medical services, the accounts branch of the Air Force and as air traffic controllers in the Navy.

In the Indian Air Force (IAF), women officers serve as pilots (not on combat aircraft, although it can be argued that transport aircraft and helicopters fly into battle zones) and aeronautical engineering (electronics or mechanical), education and administration.

Capture Scenario

The most common arguments put forward by nay-sayers to keep women out of what is arguably the last and most exclusive of male-only clubs have been understandably sexist. Biology and a lack of physical strength have been cited by protagonists of continuation of denial to women

to occupy such positions. Some individuals have cited the conservative and parochial mind-set of a section of men in the Indian society who would find it uncomfortable to be commanded on the battlefield by women. Some have even advanced the rationale that women would be more frequently absent from work, taking higher absence from duty to deal with issues and responsibilities at home. It is also mentioned that unit cohesion will be undermined.

Presence of women combatants in the units could be detrimental to the morale of the male combatants.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar raised the issue of “demoralisation” of the troops if a woman comrade was to get captured by the enemy!

It needs to be recognised that none of these arguments and explanations are peculiar to the Indian military establishment. Armies in most countries have advanced similar justifications to deny combat roles to women – only fifteen nations allow women in close combat. Yet, as barriers and opposition to the entry and advancement of women fall across professions, there is increasing pressure on militaries to prove, with evidence, why women who meet the forces’ exacting standards cannot be treated on par with their male peers.

In India, it is felt by an ever growing cross-section of people that several of these reasons are no longer relevant.

It is maintained that warfare and combat today require several qualities and capabilities which are not dependent only on physical strength. These include a calm demeanour, focused mind, technological prowess, analytical skills etc.

Further, ethics and political notion of equality necessitate that women be permitted to display their mettle on battlefield as they have done in other areas. Time and again, women in India have exhibited their exemplary bravery in undertaking challenging operations. There hence appears scant rationale to deny such opportunities to women who have already taken a decision to devote their lives to the service of the country in defence forces.

No Need To Rush

India should continue to follow a measured and graduated approach as it has done so far. There is no need to rush headlong in providing opportunities to women in combat forces without fully understanding and analysing the total implications. The notion of gender equality should not be confused or equated with national security and integrity or with their fighting capability and defence preparedness of our troops. Moreover, in whichever service they are recruited and whichever role and duty is assigned to them, women should be treated fully at par with their male colleagues. No special privileges or benefits whether in nature of duties or postings should be accorded to them. Only then will it be possible to maintain discipline

India should continue to follow a measured and graduated approach as it has done so far.

There is no need to rush and morale of the forces. Technological and social situation in India is very different from that prevailing in more developed and advanced countries. While countries like Canada and Australia face no immediate threat to their borders and security, the same is not true for India.

Hence, while it might be possible to induct a higher percentage of women in defence services and train them for combat duties in such countries, the same would not be feasible for India where majority of army troops are deployed on active combat duties in remote, inhospitable and troubled areas. Full opportunities especially in Permanent Commissions should be made available to women in education, healthcare, legal, technical, administrative and other similar non-combat roles. Women’s expertise, talent and competence should be profitably utilised in areas in which they excel, which are principally non-combat in nature. Combat duties should be introduced in a gradual, well-considered and thought-through manner.

Women in India have exhibited their exemplary bravery by undertaking challenging roles

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gender disparity NIX TO ALL-FEMALE BATTALION

Storming The Male Bastion We must address with sincerity, all peculiar problems, which lady officers may have to face in this traditional male bastion, namely, the Armed Forces so that their services contribute to organisational effectiveness and they are not considered a liability. Let us never forget that combat readiness cannot be sacrificed at the altar of symbolism.

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n ancient civilisation which venerates Nari Shakti (women power), in its religious moorings and whose history has been enriched by warrior queens of the likes of Razia Sultan, Ahilyabai Holkar, Kittur Chinamma, Rani Durgawati of Gondwana, Chand Bibi and in recent times, a formidable Prime Minister like Indira Gandhi, will not be – prima facie – averse in denying the empowerment of its women in any form. Notwithstanding the philosophy and values which drive gender equality – no matter how lofty the principle is – precepts should not be juxtaposed on crucial decision-making without an in-depth thought in areas

which may affect the nation, especially in a critical area like national security.

Lt Gen AnuKamal Sharma Davar PVSM, AVSM (Retd)

Touchstone Is National Security

The significant issue of women’s full-fledged participation in India’s Armed Forces by being commissioned for all combat arms and services has been intensively debated, officially The writer is a and by many analysts and distinguished soldier women organisations, since having served in all the last many years with theatres of operations in widely differing perceptions his 41 years of service. and opinions emerging. Any He has been the Chief of problem which may afflict the Staff of a Corps HQs in nation’s security requires an Jammu and Kashmir and then served as the GOC in-depth and clinical analysis 11 Corps responsible for than being bracketed with the defence of Punjab. He mere gender-equality or a was especially selected welfare oriented approach. by the Government of Though many nations had India to raise the Defence women serving both in the Intelligence Agency after ranks and as officers since the Kargil War. After decades, it was as late as 1992, the retirement, he writes that women were inducted, as and lectures on security officers, into the Indian Armed issues. He is widely Forces. Earlier, they could be known to passionately commissioned as officers only in espouse the cause of the Army Medical Corps or the jointness in the Indian Army Education Corps. The first Armed Forces. As the intake was only of 50 officers for first DG of DIA, many which over 1800 young women Intelligence initiatives had applied –thus conveying including abroad were the enthusiasm of India’s taken by him. feminine fraternity for joining to contribute towards the nation’s security. Doors were opened for young ladies to be given five years as Short Commissioned Officers (SCOs), later extended by another five years. Subsequently, after these

In battle, there is no place for a runner-up. If the induction of women propels this mission it will be an acceptable step – but does it? ten years, option to extend this service by another four years was decided upon. Women could join all the arms and services, including the combat arms less the armoured corps or the infantry. However, a Permanent Commission was only awarded for lady officers joining the medical, legal or educational streams. In the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF), women were not allowed initially to join as fighter pilots but could fly transport aircraft and helicopters and, additionally, in the Navy they were not allowed to become submariners.

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gender disparity NIX TO ALL-FEMALE BATTALION Though some nations in the world since years have granted their women permanent commissions as officers, also to have women serve in the ranks in their three Services and women serve in all the combat arms as well, two major problems confront the Indian Armed Forces.

First and most importantly, the Indian Armed Forces are debating whether women should be allowed to serve in all the combat arms including the infantry and armoured corps and second, the grant of Permanent Commission to women in all the streams they are allowed to serve in.

A leader of infantry sub-units has to answer the calls of nature close to where his men are located Permanent Commission

Tackling the second problem first, namely the aspect of permanent commissions for lady officers. Notwithstanding problems of maternity leave, not being posted in the same station as their spouses or the proclivity of some lady officers to leave the service for preserving their ‘marital harmony’ or for educating their growing children, it will be only fair that lady officers should unreservedly be granted permanent commissions in the Armed Forces.

Details regarding these problems which are particular to women, as mentioned above, could be worked with pragmatism so that organisational effectiveness is not adversely affected. The Armed Forces have a national role to fulfill and are not a charity or a welfare organisation.

Coming to the major problem of inducting women into the armoured corps or the infantry needs to be looked at holistically at the roles and employment of specifically these combat arms. The problem of manning these two combat arms, specifically, merits wider analysis than merely for promoting gender equivalence. Before we go any further, no one will question the basic premise that a nation’s Armed Forces are meant only for one purpose, namely to defend the country and win all wars and conflicts they have to undertake. In battle, there is no place for a runner-up. If the induction of women propels this mission it will be an acceptable step – but does it? Before any decision is taken, considering the vast divergence in views of veteran and experienced Indian military commanders and some feminist organisations, a complete overview of physiological, sociological and above all, operational nuances must be taken. Prior to that, it is the considered view of most that apart from the services like the Army Service Corps, Ordnance, Judge Advocate Branch, Army Education Corps, Intelligence Corps, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Medical Corps, Army Postal Corps etc. and even in non-contact combat arms like the Corps of Engineers, the Corps of Signals, Artillery, Air Defence, Army Aviation Corps, etc. lady officers can prove useful. In the Indian Air Force – a service which has been increasing its women officers intake far better than the two other services, has now allowed women to become fighter pilots – indeed a good development. Even Islamic Pakistan, despite its blatant conservatism, has a few women in the Pakistan Air

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Forces as fighter pilots. There are already a fair number of transport and helicopter women pilots in the IAF which is an encouraging development.

Pitfalls In The Combat Zone

Coming to the tenuous demand of lady officers in the armoured corps and infantry. Both during peace and war, the infantry performs the most hazardous military actions like scaling of steep mountainous, snowy peaks which require not only courage but physical prowess and endurance of the highest order. The infantry also has to go out patrolling for days on end in the most inhospitable terrain. A leader of infantry sub-units is physically close to his men, working, eating and sleeping in very close physical proximity to his men. He has to answer the calls of nature close to where his sub-unit or body of men are located. In combat, the leader has to undertake ferocious assaults on the enemy or terrorists and on occasions, engage in hand to hand fighting with his adversaries. No rational analysis will ever project the lack of courage or leadership qualities in women but lets be frank and forthright – I hate to admit it but I am afraid, women do not measure up physically to those exacting standards required to indulge in close combat – a few women may have climbed Mt Everest but they are few and far between! The problem about separate toilets and essential privacy required for lady officers in remote outposts and jungle areas etc. are too well known to merit futile discussions. Misconduct including sexual as regards women combatants has been confronted by many western nations as well. Each nation has its own culture and civilisational values and we do not have to ape the West in everything!

Coming to the armoured corps, tanks have a crew of three or four personnel who are physically stacked into a tank and in the confined space, the crew is virtually rubbing against each other as they perform their tasks of driving, loading and firing the tank, operating the radio sets and commanding the tank, the tank troop (3 tanks) or the tank squadron (14 tanks). Imagine a lady officer ‘cooped up’ in that highly cramped physical configuration. Not prudent whatsoever. Instead of personnel looking up to the leader, they would perhaps be constantly looking at the leader!

There are a number of transport and helicopter women pilots

Non-Contact Combat Areas

Personally speaking, my 41-years of service spent in combat, field areas, near peace and peacetime tenures and in inhospitable terrain leaves no doubt in my mind that, barring serving in the armoured corps and infantry, women officers can do well in the other non-contact combat arms and all the services.

The changing face of modern conflicts are now embracing newer dimensions by the day in which technology and information dominance will play a vital role in achieving military victories. Thus, the field of conflicts, in its entire spectrum, is wide open to absorb the technical knowledge, information technology skills, administrative prowess and the attention to detail which women can bring to raise the combat effectiveness of the organisations they are made to work in. Additionally, the rising shortages in the officer cadre can be suitably bridged, to some extent, by larger intakes of lady officers in all the three Services.

I, for one, do not agree with the Raksha Mantri, Manohar Parrikar’s views that a few all-women battalions for the Indian Army may be raised on the lines of some our Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) who do have a few all-women units. The difference in the operational employment between the Army and the CAPFs is that when hot wars commence, the CAPFs and para-military forces are pulled back for rear area security or in the second line of defence and do not, normally, carry out operations against the enemy forces. Thus, it is not prudent for the Army to have all women battalions on its order of battle – the CAPFs and the para-military can carry on doing so for routine tasks in peace-time.

As the Ministry of Defence and the three Services analyse the implications on organisational effectiveness in the employment of women officers, the drop in the intake – for a variety of reasons – especially in the Army and the Navy is a cause for concern which needs to be speedily addressed. Figures of women officers intake are tabulated below: Year

Army

Navy

Air Force

Total

2013

127

30

144

321

2014

104

57

155

316

2015

72

35

223

330

2016

37

20

85

142

To force-fit all and sundry in organisations before their strengths and weaknesses are fully analysed will hardly be a wise decision. As we strive to give opportunities to our women to play their vital role in nation building, there are more than adequate avenues for their employment both in the uniformed services and in the civil world.

However, we must address with sincerity, all peculiar problems, which lady officers may have to face in this traditional male bastion, namely, the Armed Forces, so that their services contribute to organisational effectiveness and they are not considered a liability.

Let us never forget that combat readiness cannot be sacrificed at the altar of symbolism.

We strive to give opportunities to our women to play their vital role in nation building

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gender disparity Factors Affecting WOMEN IN COMBAT ROLES

Women’s Participation In Indian Defence Forces As per the data, it is revealed that hardly any participation from women is taken into account while theorising civil military relation in the context of women’s participation in the Indian Armed Forces.

Political ideology is very important to develop cohesiveness among society through the constitutional spirit.

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ndia has one of the largest armies in the world and over the years, it had women only in medical and educational roles. It was only in 1992 that the Army opened all its doors for women, and since then, the number of women in the Army has been on the rise. Now, women are offered diverse and lucrative roles in the Armed Forces at par with men.

Recently, the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, announced that women will be allowed in combat roles, dismissing the longest running debate in the history of the Armed Forces. He further said, “My government has approved the induction of women as short-service commission officers and as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. In the future, my government will induct women in all the fighter streams of our Armed Forces”.

While considering the present South Asian security environment, South Asia is one of the most conflict prone regions of the world. It has witnessed three inter-State wars, two partitions, intermittent low intensity conflict and powder keg of intra-State class, caste, communal ethnic and nationality conflicts.

The contribution of women in nation-building is very important. There is a general preconceived notion or

perception that the Armed Forces in our country are not directly or effectively involved in the nation building activities. They certainly are involved in the defence of our country. The role of women has always been very important in nation building during war and peace time. However, the Indian male dominated society hardly acknowledges the contribution of women in the Indian Armed Forces.

This paper deals with how various factors ie political, cultural, social, economic, international, geostrategic, strategic thinking, military culture and organisational structure are affecting the participation of women in the Indian defence forces.

Dr Anu Vijay Sharma Khare

The writer is the Director of the National Centre of International Security & Defence Analysis, he is the director of the International Centre and also a professor of Defence and Strategic Studies Savitribai Phule Pune University.

Gender relations Characteristics of “gender order”

Political factors • Level of women’s social and political participation • Political system • Civil-military relations • Political ideology of current leadership

Cultural factors • Social construction of gender • Public discourse regarding gender • Social construction of family

Social/economic factors • Demographic patterns • Economic development • Labour force characteristics (women’s labour force participation; occupational sex segregation) • Family structure

Armed forces Strategic Orientations • National Security (Mission definition; level of threat

Strategic Orientations • National Security (Mission definition; level of threat

Military culture • Gender regime of the armed forces (Military ethos; values about war; dominant image of gender roles, masculinity in soldier’s identity)

Organizational Structure • Dominant organizational orientation (Military accession policies; force structure; combat or support ration; social diversity of members)

Women’s military participation (WMP)

Figure: Factors affecting women’s participation in the military

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gender disparity Factors Affecting WOMEN IN COMBAT ROLES

NUMBERS SAY IT ALL OFFICERS IN

THE ARMY

OFFICERS IN

THE NAVY

OFFICERS IN

THE AIRFORCE

1,300 96%

95%

4%

5%

MEN

MEN

*

(1,300)

WOMEN

(358)

WOMEN

Is the approximate number of women.

Air force did not reveal what percentage of total strength consists of women officers

* APPROXIMATE Figure: Statistical data (Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/ women-in-indian-armed-forces)

Characteristics Of Gender Order

Diversity in the Indian defence forces is a complex subject, both conceptually and in terms of its more practical, managerial implications. It represents one of the most significant and difficult challenges for human resource management that military leaders have faced over the past two or three decades. Greater diversity in recruitment, development and employment has challenged traditional military institutional norms, values, beliefs and attitudes. Human resource philosophies, policies, programmes and practices have been adapted and revised by the Government of India from time to time.

Political Factors

The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers and duties of the government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles and the duties of citizens. According to the Constitutional provisions, all men and women are at par in all fields of life, including recruitment of women in the armed forces. Women’s participation in the Indian defence forces was included in 1992 in non-combatant force and now there is scope for their participation in combatant forces too. The statistical data reflects that since 1992, when the Army opened its doors to women, their numbers have only grown in multitudes. In 1992, 1,803 candidates applied for 50 vacancies. The Army had the privilege of screening 36 applicants for each vacancy. In 2005, the figure shot up to 150 applicants per vacancy. The numbers have seen a steady increase. Some 93 lady officers have enrolled in 2010 and 166 in the following year. In 22 years, their strength has grown manifold from 50 to 1,300.

Is It Strishakti?

But, is it truly the power of Strishakti? All-women marching contingents are showcased on every Republic

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Day. However, are the women officers really the pride of the Indian Army? Our male dominated society has no courage to give equal rights to the 50 per cent of the population which comprises of women. Our political system and structure is democratic but our action in day to day life is based on feudalism, dominance and is biased against women. Considering the civil-military relations in the present context in the field of defence management, the male dominant patriarchal society is also reflected in the number in the Indian Armed Forces.

It is very difficult to understand co-relation between civil, military and gender parity in terms of strategic thinking.

As per the data, it is revealed that hardly any participation from women is taken into account while theorising civil military relation in the context of women’s participation in the Indian Armed Forces. Political ideology is very important to develop cohesiveness among society through constitutional spirit. In a country like India, most of the population is divided in the name of culture, identity, language, caste and region. Hence, it is necessary for the political leaders to understand India’s unity in diversity. Unfortunately, the political ideology and its leadership only focuses on vote bank and does not consider its diverse nature. Hence, it has an overall impact on the development and the participation of women in the defence process.

Identity crisis, regional disparity and cultural hegemony do not allow women to play a vital role Cultural Barriers

Social construction of gender is very important for nation building. Indian culture basically is diverse in nature.

In every six miles, there is a difference among people, language and region. During the British era, central authority was established under various acts and since Independence, the Constitution of India has been playing an important role in developing cohesiveness among the Indians through various constitutional provisions like single citizenship, one vote one value, single judiciary system, single administrative system etc. However, these constitutional provisions do not reflect on social cohesiveness among the Indians. Identity crisis, regional disparity and cultural hegemony do not allow women to play a vital role in the process of nation building as well as participation in the armed forces. Traditional culture and caste hegemony reflects on the upbringing of women whose impact is also seen in less participation of women in the Indian armed forces. Public discourse depicts gender and social construction of family of critical issues in the Indian society. Even the present recruitment in the armed forces based on martial race, has now been opened to all Indians. However, a few sections of the society have not been actively involved in the participation in the Indian Armed Forces. Some of the surveys reflect that there is hardly any participation from vibrant states like Gujarat in the military services because of their family upbringing, social constriction and public discourses. These factors

Military ethos and a soldier's identity are completely based on gender biased discrimination

also lead to restricted participation of women in the Indian armed forces.

Socio-economic Factors

India’s demographic patterns, economic development, women’s labour forced participation, occupational segregation and family structure reflects on the recruitment of Indian women in the defence forces. There is a complete demographic division between North and South Indian culture as well as language barriers. Most of the North Indians speak Hindi whereas the South Indians speak English. The functioning and implementation of the day-to-day work and policies related to English and the British dominance is obviously seen in its nature even in the Indian defence forces. Hence, it has an impact on women’s participation in Indian defence forces.

International Geo-strategic Context

The present international security dynamics has shifted from geo-strategy to geo-economics. Women have played a very important role during World War I and II. Most of the women were used as non-combatant players in the modern warfare. After 9/11, there has been a paradigm shift in the participation of women in the Armed Forces. Most of the democratic countries consider women as an asset in the defence forces. However, in a country like India, where more than 50 per cent population comprises women, more participation of women should be encouraged in the defence forces.

Strategic Orientations

Lack of strategic objective in terms of national security policy reflects on India’s defence forces. Our mission and goal related to peace and security is precisely mentioned in the Indian constitution. However, in practice, we hardly implement our strategic thinking and orientation while dealing with women’s participation in the Indian defence forces.

There is a need to develop a role model from amongst the women officers of high calibre, who can act as a driving force for the aspiring youth of today Military Culture: Military ethos, values about war, dominant image of gender roles, masculinity in soldiers’ identity are completely divided on the basis of gender biased discrimination. We need to revamp our strategy and policy related to women’s participation in the Armed Forces.

Organisational Structure: Organisational structure of the Armed Forces is divided into two parts, namely, combatant and non-combatant.

So far, the Government of India has initiated several policies to recruit women in combat and non-combat forces. However, there is need for a long term strategy to deal with organisational structure and hierarchy.

Parity

While considering the role of men in the defence forces, there is a need to send a message to the masses through social media and other agencies that there is no disparity in the remuneration of the defence forces, unlike the private sector. Each individual and deserving woman officer has an equal opportunity to climb the ladder of success. There is an urgent need to revamp our political and cultural ideas, socio-economic factors, our strategic and military thinking, as well as organisational structure while dealing with the participation of women in the Indian defence forces. There is a need to develop a role model from amongst the women officers of high calibre, who can act as a driving force for the aspiring youth of today.

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gender disparity LANDMARK MOMENT

Bastion Breached In The IAF In the final analysis, it is really not a contest of skills between male and female fighter pilots. The three young ladies commissioned recently as fighter pilots have been reported to have performed as well and even better than their male colleagues.

Women have been in the flying branch of the IAF for over two decades

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he Indian Air Force scripted history on Saturday, 18 June 2016, when Manohar Parrikar, the Defence Minister, the Chief Guest and the Reviewing Officer at a combined graduation parade held at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, north of Hyderabad, formally conferred the President’s Commission on to three women fighter pilots along with other flight cadets of various other branches of the IAF. The three women pilots, the first to be inducted into the fighter stream, were Flying Officer Bhawana Kanth, Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi and Flying Officer Mohana Singh. They had successfully completed Stage II of the training schedule for fighter pilots having logged a total of around 150 hours of flying on the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II

basic trainer aircraft procured from Switzerland and then on the HAL-built jet trainer, the HJT-36 Kiran. They were also awarded the pilot’s “Wings” coveted by all those aspiring for a flying career in the IAF. Thereafter, they proceeded to Air Force Station, Bidar in North Karnataka for the final stage of their training on the British Aerospace Hawk 132, Advanced Jet Trainer. On the successful completion of Stage III, these three women fighter pilots have been assigned to different combat squadrons equipped with supersonic fighter aircraft such as the MiG-21, the Mirage 2000 and the Su-30 MKI. It is in the combat squadrons that they will be required to undergo operational training along with their male colleagues before they are declared fully operational or in other words “combat capable” on any of these aircraft.

This will by no means be an ordinary achievement for these high flying young girls fired by ambition to perform the combat role in the IAF! This is expected to inspire others to follow in their footsteps and hopefully reverse the declining trend amongst young women in the country to opt for the military as a career.

Landmark Event

Anu Air Marshal Sharma BK Pandey PVSM, AVSM, VM (Retd)

The writer retired from the Indian Air Force (IAF) in May 2004.

During his 40 years of service with the IAF, he held a variety of Command and Staff appointments. His appointment prior to retirement was that of Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Training Command, IAF. The officer was deputed by the Government of India to the Republic of Singapore to train their pilots to be flying instructors.

He has also served in a diplomatic assignment at the Embassy of India in Kabul, Afghanistan, during the turbulent years of 1989 to 1992 in the war torn country. Apart from his diplomatic responsibilities, the officer was tasked by the Indian Government to open the only English medium school in Kabul. He also took active part in the operations by the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka.

Induction of female pilots into the fighter stream of the IAF has been recorded as a landmark event in the glorious history of the IAF as it signifies a major success for women in their battle against gender discrimination. This event will thus be seen as the proverbial “feather in the cap” of the service. This day also marked the fulfilment of the commitment by Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, former Chief of the Air Staff made on the International Women’s Day in 2016 that the nation would see its first batch of female fighter pilots graduating on 18 June 2016. In his address on the occasion of the combined graduation parade, the Minister of Defence assured the audience that step by step, total gender parity will be achieved in the Armed March 2017

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gender disparity LANDMARK MOMENT Forces in the coming years and that the technical or administrative difficulties in this regard if any, would be done away with. However, it had been stated at the outset that approval by the government for women to join the fighter stream of the IAF had been granted on an experimental basis and would be reviewed after five years of its implementation.

Historical Perspective

A woman going into combat is neither without precedent nor alien to Indian culture or tradition. After all, in 1858, Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi, went into the battlefield on horseback with sword in hand and her infant son strapped to her back to take on the British who were on the offensive. Tragically, Lakshmi Bai and her son were both martyred. She had left instructions with her soldiers that in case she died in the battle, her body must be burnt immediately and that under no circumstances should the British soldiers be able to get hold of it.

Women have been flying combat aircraft successfully in a number of countries around the world such as the US, Russia, the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Turkey, Israel, China, Singapore and even Pakistan. The first woman in the world to be employed in a flying combat

Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi

role was Sabiha Gökçen of Turkey in 1936. In the US, it was only in 1993 that the very first female fighter pilot Jeannie M Leavitt was inducted into the United States Air Force (USAF). At about the same time, the US Navy too commissioned Lieutenant Kara Spears Hultgreen as the first carrier-borne combat pilot. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Kara died soon after in a crash at sea while flying the F-14 Tomcat. About a year ago, the US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had stated that the US government had moved even further and had decided to open all positions to women including frontline combat roles in the Armed Forces. Said Defence Secretary Carter, “We cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country's talents and skills. We have to take full advantage of every individual who can meet the laid down standards". This philosophy ought to apply in the Indian context as well.

The UK began induction of women pilots in combat role in 1994 and today in the Royal Air Force (RAF), there are a dozen female fighter pilots flying the Eurofighter Typhoon or Tornado jets in combat missions. The RAF women combat pilots flying the Tornado, are reported to have flown hundreds of operational missions over Afghanistan as part of Britain’s offensive against the Taliban. A female fighter pilot of the RAF operating from an RAF base in Cyprus, led the first aerial combat

mission into Iraq. It was a highly dangerous mission over territory in Northern Iraq held by the ISIS. In Israel, women pilots had flown combat missions during the Israeli War of Independence but thereafter, women were excluded from combat flying. This restriction was lifted in 1995 following which the first woman to earn wings in 2001 as a fighter pilot was Lt Roni Zuckerman.

Even in Pakistan, which is rather conservative and where women are discriminated against in every field and aspect of life, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is three years ahead of the IAF in respect of induction of women in the fighter stream. In June 2013, Flight Lieutenant Ayesha Farooq, one of the 19 female pilots in the PAF, became the first to be a part of the fighter stream flying the Chinese made F-7PG. Tragically, in November 2015, Marium Mukhtiar, another Pakistani female fighter pilot in the PAF succumbed to her injuries sustained during ejection from a combat aircraft following a serious emergency in the air.

On Saturday, 18 June 2016, three women pilots were the first to be inducted into the fighter stream The Indian Scenario

In India, women have always been a part of the Army Medical Corps (AMC) serving as doctors alongside their male counterparts and have donned uniforms of the IAF and the Indian Navy as and when seconded to these organisations. As a part of the AMC, lady medical officers have been assigned to serve even in some of the most difficult and inhospitable regions along the SinoIndian and Indo-Pak borders. However, entry into the IAF as officers in the other ground duty branches such as Administration and Logistics, commenced only in the early 1990s. At about the same time, women were also inducted into the flying branch but were restricted to flying transport aircraft and helicopters. In the IAF, the first woman pilot to fly solo on an Avro HS 748 twin engine transport aircraft on 2 September 1994 was Harita Kaur Deol, daughter of an army officer. Tragically, she perished along with twenty-three others in a fatal accident involving an Avro HS 748, near Hyderabad on 24 December 1996.

Women have been serving in the flying branch of the IAF for over two decades. Currently, on the rolls of the IAF are more than 100 women pilots and 20 women navigators who fly transport aircraft and rotary wing platforms to forward bases and into high altitude areas and over inhospitable terrain such as that of the Siachen Glacier. With the same level of training and grooming, they have, in no way, proved to be less capable than their male counterparts.

Foray By Women Into Civil Aviation

Although women in the US had been involved in civil aviation since the early 20th century, just a few years after the legendary Wright brothers took to the air in a heavier-than-air machine, there was psychological barrier prevalent in India against women entering

the regime of civil aviation. The battle against gender discrimination in the domain of Indian civil aviation began in the 1950s when Ms Durba Banerjee, the first Indian woman to be trained as a civil pilot, approached the then Minister of Civil Aviation with a request to join Indian Airlines as a commercial pilot. She was in for a rude shock when instead of recruiting her as a pilot, she was offered the job of a flight attendant which is a part of the cabin crew! However, through sheer determination and persistent effort on her part, Durba Banerjee managed to finally join Indian Airlines and soon rose to be a commander on the Fokker F 27, an airliner powered by twin-turboprop engines. Thereafter, as she built up more experience, she moved on to the larger Boeing 737 jet airliner and finally on to the Airbus 300. In no way was she found to be less competent professionally in comparison with her male colleagues. It is as a result of her successful battle against gender discrimination that today, there are a large number of women pilots serving in both domestic and international carriers in India and enjoy a good professional reputation. Occasionally, one hears of an all-women crew operating scheduled flights especially to mark Women’s Day!

Issues Of Concern In Military Aviation

While entry of women into the fighter stream is indeed a landmark event for the management in the IAF, there are issues of serious concern. There is genuine apprehension about the fate of a woman fighter pilot if she is shot down over enemy territory and is captured alive. To obviate this possibility, there is a suggestion that women fighter pilots should be employed only in the air defence role or other missions within the boundaries of the nation.

In the final analysis, it is really not a contest of skills between male and female fighter pilots. The three young ladies commissioned recently as fighter pilots have been reported to have performed as well and even better than their male colleagues. The latest move to induct them into the fighter stream of the IAF will indeed be inspiring as well as challenging for women who aspire to “Touch the Sky with Glory” and a positive development in respect of their emancipation and fulfilment of aspirations!

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gender disparity A CRITIQUE

Feedback On Women In The Army: Asset Or Liability?

Only the non-playing entities (politicians, activists and the media) keep claiming that women are equal to men to demand more positions for women in the Services. However, it is the top brass of the Services that is to be blamed for the present mess as it lacks spine to resist pressures.

The then US President Barack Obama received the Guard of Honour led by Wing Commander Pooja Thakur

E

arlier, entry of women in the Indian Armed Forces was limited to the Army Medical Corps, the Army Dental Corps and the Military Nursing Service. It was in 1990 that a decision was taken to grant Short Service Commission (SSC) to Service

women in some select non-combat branches in the three Services. The first batch joined in 1992. The decision was neither need-based nor well thought-through.

Resultantly, the Armed Forces are still grappling with the issues that keep cropping up with worrisome regularity.

Officers Strength in 2016

Year-wise Induction of Women Officers

Total

Women

Percentage

2013

2014

2015

Army

41,162

1,512

3.7

127

104

72

Navy

9,356

453

4.8

50

57

35

Airforce

11,948

1,584

13.2

144

155

223

Total

62,466

3,549

5.7

321

316

330

Details of Women Officers (Excluding Medical and Dental Branches) (Source: Information given to the Parliament in December 2016)

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As can be seen from the above table, strength of women varies from 3.7 per cent for the Army to 13.2 per cent for the Air Force. Although their presence in the Services has ceased to raise eyebrows, the issue of their contribution continues to evoke extreme reactions.

Two and a half decades is a long enough period for the Army to carry out an objective appraisal. For that, it is essential that a feedback be obtained from the environment.

Ignorant And Clueless Crusaders

Unfortunately, the Indian media (both print and electronic) is populated by the reporters who know little about national security imperatives and military matters. They thrive by blazoning hyperbolic and embellished headlines. To them, presence of women in the Services symbolises ‘grand display of Nari Shakti’.

They get overwhelmed by the sight of women marching on the Rajpath and construe it as a testimony of women’s prowess to defend the borders.

Pro-women activists are equally vocal in their misplaced zeal for the ‘equality of sexes’ which makes them look at all issues with blinkered views. For them, entry of women in the Services is a case of ‘women empowerment’, ‘conquest of the last male bastion’, ‘gender equality’ and ‘women’s liberation’. According to them, it is a fundamental right of women to serve in the military to satisfy their vocational aspirations. They are least concerned about the fighting potential of the Services.

To buttress their stand for increased induction of women, examples of the United States and Israel are often cited. As their knowledge is pitiably shallow, a number of myths get created, thereby clouding the true facts. Neither the US nor the Israeli forces allow women in direct combat.

As in other countries, it is the political leadership that is driving the Indian Armed Forces to open all positions to women. It is quite understandable. For politicians, nothing matters more than expediency of vote-bank chemistry. Through open support for gender equality in the Services, they want to demonstrate their pro-women outlook and earn plaudits by appearing to be progressive.

Tokenism

Tokenism is the policy and practice of making a perfunctory and symbolic gesture towards the inclusion of members of minority groups. As a matter of political tokenism, the government ordered that the Guard of Honour for President Obama be commanded by a woman officer and that the Republic Day Parade should include a women’s contingent. Both the decisions lacked substance and were purely of symbolic value. The decision to induct women as fighter pilots also smacks on tokenism of reckless nature.

The top brass of the services is totally aware of the damage being inflicted on the organisation but lack moral courage to admit it openly. It is considered politically incorrect to oppose induction of women, more so after the flak received by a previous Vice Chief for his innocuous and honest remarks. Talk to any top commander in private and he will readily concede that the decision to induct women was slapdash and hasty.

Many weak-kneed commanders succumb to the political pressure and accede to demands which are not in the interests of the Services.

In the early 2014, the then Air Chief had publicly declared that women by nature were not physically suited for flying fighter planes for long hours.

In October 2015, in a complete turnaround, he announced the decision to induct women into the fighter stream “to meet the aspirations of young women of India”.

Interestingly, he continued to entertain doubts regarding the role to be assigned to women fighter pilots.

Unit And Formation Commanders

Anu Maj Sharma Gen Dr Mrinal Suman AVSM, VSM (Retd)

The writer is India’s foremost expert in myriad aspects of defence procurement procedures and offsets.

He heads Defence Technical Assessment and Advisory Services Group of the Confederation of Indian Industry.

A prolific writer, his articles are regularly translated in many languages and his views command immense respect in India and abroad.

All commanders consider women to be a liability as considerable resources have to be diverted to ensure their comfort, dignity and safety, without commensurate advantages. They prefer to do with the shortage of officers rather than have women under their command. Women join the military on the plank of equality of sexes but this plank vanishes the day they join the training academy.

Thereafter, they again become the weaker sex and demand special dispensation. Commanders are hard pressed to satisfy them.

As women cannot be employed on all tasks, flexibility available to the commander gets restricted. For example, every officer is detailed as the duty officer by rotation and has to visit the Quarter Guard and all sentry posts at midnight to ensure their alertness. Unit commanders rue the fact that women cannot be assigned such duties and male officers have to undertake additional work load, which they resent.

Reality Check Standards of physical fitness for women have been pegged at appallingly low levels. Even then, most women fail to achieve them. As women are anatomically weak, they cannot withstand prolonged physical stress and are prone to serious injuries like slipped discs, shoulder dislocations, stress fractures, infections of the womb and pelvic organ prolapsed. Therefore, they cannot be exposed even to routine unit regime.

Whereas male officers take pride in leading their units from the front, women officers cannot even keep pace with the troops. Unlike the male officers, women do not train and exercise with the troops. As they cannot be detailed on patrolling and route marches, commanders are forced to employ them on office duties.

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gender disparity A CRITIQUE Many consider grant of SSC for ten years to be an ill-conceived initiative. Women normally become officers at the age of 23 to 25 years. Within two to three years of their commission, they get married. Every pregnancy means three yearss of exemption from physical activities – one year pre-natal and two years post-delivery. With the standard two-child norm, a women officer remains physically inactive for close to six years. In the absence of officers, collective field training of the units suffers.

Unit Personnel

The Service officers take pride in the fact that they earn the right to command by being better than the troops, both physically and professionally. They feel that the entry of women has lowered their standing. By having women only as officers, an impression gets conveyed to the environment that officers’ duties are soft and even women can perform them.

The argument that women make up shortage of male officers is always scoffed at for its speciousness. There is no shortage of suitable male volunteers to join the Services. It is just that the Services seek very exacting standards for males while women are accepted with abysmally laughable standards. For that matter, there are no standards for women.

In the Army, there is a concept of field and peace postings by rotation. Every officer looks forward to a good peace posting to be with his family and to sort out family issues. But most of the junior and middle level appointments in peace stations are invariably held by women officers on compassionate grounds. Male officers thus get deprived of their due share and are made to suffer prolonged field tenures. It has become a sore point with many.

Many male officers feel that the presence of women amongst them tends to make the environment ‘formal and stiff’. They miss their light hearted banter which all militaries consider essential to release work tensions and promote group cohesion. In some establishments, mutual comfort level between men and women colleagues has been found to be low.

Most Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and soldiers consider women’s induction to be a political gimmick that warrants no serious attention. Their response varies between outright disapproval to nonchalant dismissal of the issue.

As per an informal survey, 81 per cent of the troops were convinced that women officers could never lead them in war efficiently. The balance 19 per cent were unsure of their response. “How can the government be naïve enough to think that a leader who cannot run, train and exercise with troops and lacks required physical fitness be capable of leading us in war?” the respondents queried. “Instead of women officers leading us, we would be carrying their personal weapons and equipment. Even then, they will be laggards and a drag,” was a common refrain of the soldiers.

Women Officers

As in all militaries the world over, women in India are also confronted with social, behavioural and psychological challenges at all levels. According to many surveys

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carried out, most women get disillusioned with the ethos of military profession.

As most women opting for a career in the Services belong to families where their upbringing had been in a highly sheltered environment, life in the military comes as a big shock to them. While some adapt to it well, most find the task to be too daunting.

A handful of women officers are certainly mentally robust and highly motivated. They resent preferential treatment and do not want to be treated as weaklings as it offends their sensitivities and self-respect. They take exception to some women seeking kid-glove treatment to escape hardships. Such women are miniscule in number while a vast majority seeks special dispensation. They avoid field exercises on some pretext or the other – either they are not well or the kids are small or children have school tests.

All commanders consider women to be a liability as considerable resources have to be diverted to ensure their comfort, dignity and safety Finally

To date, no one has been able to justify the decision to induct women in the Indian Armed Forces. In what way have the services benefited? As the feedback reveals, women suffer from low acceptance and are considered a burdensome trouble by all the stakeholders – neither the commanders nor the male colleagues nor do the soldiers find them suitable for the Services. Interestingly, even most women officers admit their inability to cope up with the demands of the military career.

Only the non-playing entities (politicians, activists and the media) keep claiming that women are equal to men to demand more positions for women in the Services.

However, it is the top brass of the Services that is to be blamed for the present mess as it lacks spine to resist pressures.

The military exists to win wars, not to serve as an equal opportunity employer. Howsoever righteous and morally upright the principle of equality of sexes may be; national security imperatives should never be compromised at the altar of political expediency and populism. It can prove disastrous for the nation in the long run.

Finally, ‘le jury est en’ and the verdict is unanimous – women in the Services are a liability; they lack physical strength; their employability is highly restricted; seek softer appointments; consume considerable resources for comfort and safety; degrade combat potential; and contribute little to the organisational efficiency.

In the early 90s, when asked about the induction of women, a senior JCO termed the move to be totally unwise and bereft of any sound logic. Ominously, he predicted that the Services would end up rueing the decision. Events of the last few years have proved his apprehensions to be prophetic.

gender disparity BEYOND GENDER

Short Service, Permanent Commission Conundrum

Currently, women in the non-medical cadre, serve as Short Service Commissioned (SSC) officers without pension and other social security. Under this category, they can serve in the Armed Forces for a period ranging from 5-14 years and then leave. This condition in the SSC cadre forces many a woman to leave the Services early. Some studies have suggested that women ultimately opt for other jobs as they are left with nothing at the end of the fourteen-year period.

T

raditionally, women have always carried forward the gender-stereotype roles within the society such as nursing profession, primary school teachers and other domestic helpers. They have never been given a chance to succeed on an equal footing with men particularly in combat roles and military achievements.

The special task force, infantry, air defence, combat engineers and the like have always remained essentially a male’s domain. On many occasions, it has even been pointed out that changing such a scenario where men have traditionally dominated may jeopardise the army’s combat readiness by ruining unit cohesion. Women among the region of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have been among the most marginalised lot. The region is also among the most disturbed regions in which India is the most populous country and Afghanistan the most disturbed. The disturbance essentially is imposed by exogenetic forces. Women face the wrath of the disturbance such as war, violence and terror. However, it is the women who can play a significant role in ushering in peace. It has been voiced time and again that any peace that is

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attempted excluding more than half the population is no peace at all. It is a figment that will simply not last.

Promoting a proper gender equality in such a region will undoubtedly steer in development and restore peace back into the region. The fight against terrorism is also a fight for the rights and dignity of women.

The Afghanistan Resurrection

Even in a country like Afghanistan, which is considered as one of the most dangerous places in the world for a woman to live in especially with much of that danger lying at home, women have come a long way from their gender stereotype roles. The stadium in Kabul which used to be a mute spectator of women who were once stoned to death during the Taliban regime is now a venue for little girls to learn boxing. The girls who are undertaking the training are determined to prove that they are free and are the modern women literally fighting for respect, for themselves and for their nation. Shakila Naderi, Kabul’s only female driving instructor, teaches women a rare skill that confronts harsh opposition among the ultra-conservative,

Muslim Afghanistan. Kabul issued a record 312 driving licenses to women in 2015, according to the reports of the traffic department. Herat in the west and Mazare-Sharif in the north gave out 64 and 48 respectively driving licenses respectively to women who were taught mainly by women and a few men. Among other eminent roles that women have held in Afghanistan include Afghanistan’s first woman General, Khatol Mohammad Zai, in January 2014. On 4 June 2016, Afghanistan for the first time appointed a woman in the leadership of the Afghan Attorney General Office namely Maliha Hassan as the deputy finance and administrative chief in the Afghan Attorney General Office. This was an outcome of the government of national unity that promised to step up efforts in a bid to empower the women and increase their role in the leadership levels of the government. More than three women ambassadors, with Roya Rahmani being the last female Ambassador to take over duties in Indonesia last week, have been appointed by the Afghan government and the list goes on.

The facilities for both the SSC and PC needs to be looked into Entry Of Women Into Armed Forces

In the present times, women have delved into a diverse field of work culture. In India too this influence is seen in abundance. In order to accommodate women, designation such as ‘Chairman’ and the like have been rephrased as ‘Chairperson’. The Indian Armed Forces in particular, which was mainly a male dominated workplace, now display confident and bold looking women, blended into every role making their mark in the Armed Forces.

Women personnel from the Army Medical Corps have headed the prestigious defence institution. Protecting the nation’s land, sea and airspace, the Indian Armed Forces comprise of the Army, Navy and Air Force respectively1.

Subsequently, the Coast Guard was also set up as an Armed Force in 1978. It was in the 1990s that a Service Chief visited the US and witnessed women in the Guards of Honour. It was only after this that the decision to induct women was initiated2. Due to their unique roles as protectors of the nation, the nature of work in each Service is different. Apart from their main roles of defending the country, they also come forward to help people during times of crisis such as floods, landslides, earthquake, etc. and assist the civil administration.

Bright, young and energetic men and women make up the bulk of this manpower in the Armed Forces.

Magnitude Of Women In Armed Forces

Women in the Armed Forces used to be restricted to the medical profession only ie doctors and nurses. India began recruiting women to non-medical positions in the Armed

Forces in 1992.3 This was ProfAnu Mondira Sharma Dutta for the first time that women were allowed entry as regular officers in aviation, logistics, law, engineering and other executive cadres. Since 1992, from the time Army opened its doors to women, their numbers have grown steadily. In 1992, 1,803 candidates applied for 50 vacancies. The Army had the luxury of screening from 36 The writer is a professor applicants per vacancy to 150 at the Centre for Inner applicants per vacancy in 2005.

Asian Studies School of The numbers have steadily International Studies, been increasing. Ninety-three Jawaharlal Nehru lady officers got enrolled in University New Delhi.

2010 and 166, the following year. In twenty-two years, their strength went up from 50 to 1,300.4 For women, this was a new field where they had to painstakingly establish themselves and set a path for others to follow. Both men and women had the initial problem of adjustment. Suddenly, the men had to treat their female colleagues at par to themselves while all along they had been trained to be chivalrous and respectful to women. Accepting a woman other than their traditional roles was thus difficult. The sudden emergence of these women into totally male dominated strongholds initially created embarrassing moments for both.

Security For Short Service

Over the years, men started to accept these women in uniform as not only their co-workers but efficient workers who have come to stay. Currently, women in the nonmedical cadre, serve as Short Service Commissioned (SSC) officers without pension and other social security. Under this category, they can serve in the Armed Forces for a period ranging from 5-14 years and then leave. Women in the medical branch ie doctors and nurses can serve as Permanent Commissioned (PC) officers and are eligible for pension after retirement5. This condition in the SSC cadre, forces many a woman to leave the services earlier.

Some studies have suggested that women ultimately opt for other jobs as they are left with nothing at the end of the fourteen-year period. However, the real story within the male dominated arena is layered and complex. When women were trained and inducted in 1992, they still remained as SSC officers even after two decades. They were mostly found in the two branches of education and law. According to figures from the Army, 252 of the 647 women officers either quit or gtt their release from the service in the last five years.

Studies6 mention about typical comments that are heard from the male officers regarding the women quitting the army such as, “it’s a waste of time and money training them because they leave to get married and have children”. This was despite the fact that women were posted in the border

1 Nair Sajita, Women in the Indian Armed Forces, Gateway of India http://www.gatewayforindia.com/articles/army_women.htm 2 Suman Mrinal Maj Gen, Women in the armed forces-Misconceptions and Facts, Strategic Defence, June 2011, http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/Women-in-theArmed-Forces~-Misconceptions-and-Facts-1.aspx 3 Channel News Asia, 24 Oct 2015 4 Baweja Harinder: ‘Women in Indian Armed Forces: Challenges, Triumphs and Male Response’, 8 Feb, 2015, Hindustan Times, http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 5 http://defencelover.in/salute-to-brave-women-soldiers-of-indian-armed-forces/ 6 Randhawa D S (Colonel): ‘Women Officers and Work Environment: Indian Perspective’

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gender disparity BEYOND GENDER areas of Rajasthan, having to live in tents, with no toilets or use the single toilet with the men. But what infuriates them the most is having to leave a career for want of social security at the end of fourteen years of service.

Improve Percentages

The study further reveals that officers in the Army constituted 96 per cent men and four per cent women, that is only 1,300 were women personnel. Among the officers in the Navy, 95 per cent were men and 5 per cent were women which was only 358 in number. Finally, among the officers in the Air Force 1,300 were women and their percentage composition was not known. According to other sources7 in 2014, India’s Army had 3 per cent women, the Navy 2.8 per cent and the Air Force performed best with 8.5 per cent women. In 2015, India opened new combat air force roles for women as fighter pilots, adding to their role as helicopter pilots in the IAF (Indian Air Force). The Indian government on 24 October 2015 gave the green signal for women to fly fighter jets, paving the way for them to assume combat roles for the first time in one of the world’s largest militaries. This enabled women to become eligible for induction in all branches and streams of the IAF. Subsequent upon training, selected women could enter a fighter cockpit by June 2017. It was only recently in 2016 that the decision was taken to allow women to take up combat roles in all sections of its Army, Navy and the Air Force8. It is believed that post a review report as to how to increase roles of women in the forces, more and more branches would be opened up for induction of women to give them the space which they deserve in the Armed Forces of the country. Compared to other countries India had kept their women out of

such roles, reportedly fearing women would be more vulnerable to sexual attacks and worried over lodging and physical fitness. Ever since an increasing number of female officers have brought court cases demanding better work conditions and Permanent Commissions instead of temporary terms of five to ten years.

Recommendations •

•

•

•

Broaden the potential of candidature and select the best personnel. This will enhance the number of applications significantly from the women candidates.

The facilities for both the SSC and PC needs to be looked into. Marketing and attraction material need to attract more women into the forces.

Expand systems to increase women’s retention. The gap between men’s and women’s attrition need to be substantially reduced. This warrants a flexible occupational system, such as postings, deployments and training. Inculcate family-friendly policies, practice and resources such as childcare support, ‘pooling’ of family leave, encouraging part-time work.

Improve pathways for women to attain senior leadership roles: This needs to eliminate hidden barriers to women’s progression, impart impartial training for promotion boards, provide women with the experiences needed to move up in rank.

Reduce discrimination, harassment and bullying, particularly in recruit training. Close monitoring in terms of severity and frequency of discrimination, harassment, assault and bullying must be undertaken through regular surveys across Services. Develop a work environment in which women feel welcomed and included as much as men.

India opened new combat air force roles for women as fighter pilots 7 8

Japan Focus. Retrieved 2013-01-24 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_combat

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patriotism

from the heart Aditya Anu Sharma Sharma

Through the Prism of a young Indian

The following poems celebrate peace, patriotism and the greatness of inner strength.

They espouse the need for love in our world and glorify the true meaning of nationalism.

Patriotism True service to one’s country, Is to live for it.

To serve it till your last breath Or as the country sees it fit.

Serving isn’t only fighting at borders Or enlisting in the forces.

It also means development, Helping shift to motorised cars from horses.

No one can be forced to be patriotic.

One has to decide himself.

And that only happens when; One puts his country before oneself.

The poet is a 13 year old boy and he is studying in the Navy Children School, Delhi.

Son of Commodore Vivek Sharma and Dr Pooja Sharma, he likes to read and learn more about space.

Remember Me We hear stories; Some we like and some we don’t.

But I am a legend!

Will you forget me? You won’t.

One mistake is all it takes, To plunge the world in chaos.

But you will still remember me; Even at total loss.

But why should you Remember someone like that for nothing.

Trust me, when I grow up; I will be everything.

By ‘everything’ I don’t mean Those others who don’t stand a chance.

But I will be the first of them, In the world to advance.

It is displayed also by heroic acts, And against all odds.

And the people who perform them, Deserve to be revered as Gods.

I will keep on advancing; As knowledge knows no ease.

But I am sure, there will be one day; I will be applauded by one and all, Long live WORLD PEACE!

Heroes are those whose acts, Cannot be performed by mortals.

And because of these acts which are to them small; Are remembered by their country as immortals.

So my friends make love – not war Grow near, not far.

Don’t tear the world apart; Oh my friends make love, not war.

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gender disparity NAVAL ECOSYSTEM

Women Officers In Indian Navy Contrary to the popular narrative, the Indian Armed Forces have been very progressive in their approach towards encouraging and achieving gender equality. The medical branches of all the three Services have had women officers from much before many liberal western democracies.

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T

he year 2017 is a silver jubilee moment for the Indian Navy that perhaps many in the Navy itself would not be aware of. It was 25 years ago in 1992 that the first batch of women officers were commissioned in the Navy with a limited tenure of service referred to as a short service commission. Coincidentally, on the cusp of the silver jubilee in 2016, the Navy decided to grant permanent commission to its women officers in some cadres.

The induction of women into the armed forces has been widely debated and discussed the world over and different countries have adopted different models adapted to their respective environment but what has been almost unanimous is the calibrated and incremental approach keeping social, cultural, political and economic sensitivities in mind.

In India, this debate and discussion is unfortunately and more often than not hijacked by ill-informed armchair feminists who do not have an iota of understanding of life in the Armed Forces – the challenges or for that matter even the opportunities. Further, combat roles are vastly different in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, and cannot be discussed in the same breath as is often the case in talk shows. These shrill voices, with their polarised opinions, in fact end up doing more harm than good to the cause they are espousing.

It was 25 years ago in 1992 that the first batch of women officers were commissioned in the Navy No Closed Minds

Contrary to the popular narrative, the Indian Armed Forces have been very progressive in their approach towards encouraging and achieving gender equality.

The medical branches of all the three Services have had women officers from much before many liberal western democracies. In fact, both the Air Force and the Navy have had three star (Air Marshal and Vice Admiral respectively) women officers helming their respective medical branches besides many who have attained two star officers (Major General and equivalent) in all the three. The Military Nursing Service which is entirely staffed by women has been active on the frontline providing medical and nursing care in some of the most inhospitable terrain known to humankind.

Broadly speaking, the Indian Armed Forces have done well in this context. The Army has women officers in combat arms like the Corps of Signals and the Corps of Engineers besides a substantial number in the supporting services like the Ordnance, Supply Corps, Education, Law, etc. These officers are required to be in front line combat zones wherever their regiments are located. Similarly, in the Indian Air Force, women officers are part of most of the branches.

Last year, the IAF inducted three officers as fighter pilots and they are now being put through their paces.

There is absolutely no reason to believe that their flying skills are in any way less than that of their male counterparts.

This article will not delve into tri-Service aspects and will be restricted to the role of women in combat roles in the Navy and focus on the every day challenges this could entail particularly with reference to: (a) Women serving on board ships; (b)Women in warfare roles including command appointments; (c) Women in submarines; (d) Women in front-line naval aviation – transport and fighter pilots; and (e) Challenges of long term afloat deployments.

Ship Design A Factor

Commodore Anu Sharma Anil Jai Singh IN (Retd)

The writer is the Vice President of the Indian Maritime Foundation and heads its Delhi branch. A veteran submariner, he is now a part of the corporate world and also co-chairs the Defence Committee of ASSOCHAM, an industry association. His naval career included command of four submarines and a Fleet ship and a wide range of appointments ashore. He takes keen interest in matters maritime and writes, and speaks on subjects in India and abroad.

The one fundamental fact that needs to be clearly understood by all the doubting Thomases (or perhaps doubting Janes in this case) is that the reason women have not yet been fully integrated on board frontline ships is not because of any chauvinistic notion of male superiority. The major limitation in fact, is the unsuitability of the current lot of ships in the Navy which are not designed to accommodate women on board in terms of privacy or proximity. In an Indian socio-cultural context, this is an important consideration. However in the few ships where the facilities and habitability conditions are adequate, like underway replenishment ships, women officers have been positioned on board for various deployments. This author had embarked two women officers for an extended deployment when commanding such a ship for more than a decade ago.

These ships are able to provide suitable accommodation and adequate privacy to the women officers.

It should not be forgotten that even in the 21st century India, societal mores do not encourage intermingling of sexes to the extent of shared cabins or shared bathrooms. It will still be a long way before co-educational universities, colleges and schools would allow common halls of residence with rooms and bathrooms being shared by men and women. How then does one expect this to be acceptable to families when it comes to living on board ships? The presence of women on board ships in the future is an inevitability which the Navy is addressing. Modern warship designs are providing for accommodation spaces suitable for women officers in terms of comfort and privacy.

However, in addition to the issues of ship design being addressed in the Indian Navy, permanent commission for women in the frontline streams will have to become a reality, women officers would be expected and willing to undertake the rigours of extended afloat deployments March 2017

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gender disparity NAVAL ECOSYSTEM

Women have played crucial roles as doctors and nurses in the Armed Forces

and sacrificing family time and considerations without any concessions to earn their spurs and the respect of the men they will command.

Very Recent Promotions

There are a few navies where women officers have been part of the warfare cadre and have commanded ships though this is not a very frequent occurrence as yet. In fact, in 2014, Admiral Michelle Howard of the US Navy became the first ever four-star Admiral. In 2015, the first female officer took over command of a Fleet and in 2016, the first enlisted female sailor qualified for submarine service. In 2015, Ash Carter opened all combat jobs in the US to women. The Royal Navy appointed its first lady Commanding Officer of a major surface combatant a few years ago but she had to be relieved of command for developing a close proximity with one of the enlisted men of her crew. However, that notwithstanding, there is a growing tribe of women commanding officers in navies the world over who have earned their commands graduating from the PWOs to command and they are progressing upwards on the command ladder. European navies have also inducted women as both officers and ratings for many years but certain aspects remain as challenges. The German navy is the only European navy with a female submarine commanding officer.

The major limitation, in fact, is the unsuitability of the current lot of ships in the Navy which are not designed to accommodate women Cloistered Submarines

While serving on-surface ships may become a reality soon, the possibility of women on board Indian submarines is still a distant thought. Submarines, by virtue of their construction, do not lend themselves at all to the intermingling of sexes with there being no possibility of separate accommodation spaces and privacy. In fact

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submarines, more than any other platform, requires people to be in close proximity with each other for long periods of time subject to physical and emotional stress that goes with confined spaces, lack of daylight and a rigorous work regime. It is debatable whether a woman on board would be comfortable in an environment where she would be required to share a cabin with five men at touching distance of each other as also would be the men.

The German Navy’s first submarine lady officer has had to address these issues and has spoken a bit about the lack of privacy on board. The US Navy, with great fanfare and a strict selection process inducted twenty-four women officers for service on board the US nuclear submarines with three each being allotted to eight submarines. It was, therefore, a bit of a disappointment when initially only three of these twenty-four opted to continue and signed on for further service.

In the aviation stream, women officers are flying the Navy’s reconnaissance and patrol aircraft and are taking to the air in ever increasing numbers as observers (observers are responsible for the combat and tactical picture while the pilot flies the aircraft). This role is going to become increasingly important in the developing regional security scenario where maritime domain awareness will determine the concept of operations.

Long Absences From Family

A major inhibiting factor, which is often overlooked when discussing women in the Navy is the challenge of extended deployment at sea which could stretch to many months without a return to base port. At the risk of sounding sexist, a prolonged absence from families is very much an issue. This needs attention and notwithstanding feminist claims to the contrary, is a reality in the Indian social structure. In fact, this is a challenge that has been faced by many navies and has been quoted as the primary reason for women leaving the service after a few years.

It is also important to understand that the joint family structure in India has given way to nuclear families.

In the case of the Navy, it may not always be possible for a lady on board to be in constant touch with her immediate family or be able to reach there at very short notice should the requirement arise. While the Navy has a robust support system for the families of personnel deployed on board, it would be highly unlikely that a woman officer would be comfortable on board if she knew that her child is unwell and that she cannot be with the child because of service exigencies or for that matter, the reason for concern is not serious enough to merit her being repatriated ashore.

Robust Mannerisms

Another challenge of long term deployments is the lack of space and consequent proximity on board. Warships are characterised by cramped working and living spaces and at times, the tension on board can run high. That is not the time for political correctness but for action which may require harsh words and a not-so-gentle nudge. Are we as a society ready for a woman officer to be shouted at by a Commanding Officer for not having performed as would be the case with a male counterpart and perhaps in the presence of a large number of men in

Women officers are flying the Navy’s reconnaissance and patrol aircrafs

close proximity. These are live issues which can derail the fighting efficiency of a ship and create avoidable situations where political correctness determines the consequence of one’s actions or words.

Disruptive Possibilities

The Indian Armed Forces are known for their high sense of discipline, impeccable behaviour towards women, professionalism taking precedence etc. and this has been very much in evidence ever since women officers have been in the Armed forces as any officer from the medical corps of the three Services will testify. Unlike many navies abroad, the Indian Navy has not had any scandal either afloat or ashore. However, social mores are changing in the country; the youth is far more comfortable intermingling with each other and are far less inhibited in their mutual interaction.

While this is a good thing and reflects a certain degree of social maturity, it could lead to organisational problems in the close confines of a warship where such intermingling could go beyond the platonic and professional relationship and further complicate an already tenuous working environment. Western navies have had numerous incidents of unwanted pregnancies on board, family issues, incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault, etc. which have led to avoidable strains on the rigid hierarchical structure of the Armed Forces. The famous Tailhook incident in the US Navy in 1991 which rocked the US and the US Navy in ways that could not be quantified in tangible terms and the scars of which are visible in some of the actions that

the USN takes even today more than twenty-five years after the incident.

Extant Reality

This article has only offered a personal snapshot into a subject which requires a great deal of deliberation.

Women in the non-medical cadre have been an integral part of the Indian Navy for twenty-five years – they have braved parental opposition, social inhibitions, chauvinistic attitudes, condescensions from their male colleagues and superiors. The Navy has recognised their skills and ability be second to none. A fitting acknowledgement of this is the all-women crew presently readying themselves to circumnavigate the globe on a naval sailing vessel.

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interview women in combat role

A voice with The Future: Role Model for Girls

Shweta Chauhan, IPS, currently working as DCP, Traffic (Eastern range, Delhi) in an exclusive interview with DSA on the eve of International Women’s Day.

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s the role of women is emerging as a crucial aspect of nation building, more and more women are coming out of the conventional roles to pursue their aspirations. Their role in the three Services lends effectiveness. We are featuring a senior IPS Officer, Shweta Chauhan who is currently working as the DCP, Traffic (Eastern range, Delhi). Here are the excerpts from the interview.

Defence and Security Alert (DSA): What inspired you to join this profession?

IPS Shweta Chauhan, DCP Traffic: The Indian Police Service (IPS) being an All India Service has a lot of prestige and honour attached to it. But what makes it truly unique is the opportunities it offers to interact with a huge crosssection of the society and, to touch and change lives with your active initiative and positive intervention.

DSA: As a woman, how challenging is it?

IPS Shweta Chauhan: It is very challenging for everyone be it a man or a woman. But for a woman, the limited work hours and gruelling work schedule along with responsibilities of children, spouse, family and general house hold, is quite a handful.

Crime has no fixed timetable, hence the officers also have to be available 24x7. Apart from that, we work on all festivals and national holidays. So, one’s availability to the family on these occasions is compromised. Each case is unique and it tests your mettle on every turn. So, professionally and personally, your commitments and capabilities are tested every moment.

DSA: Do you think sexism exists in your profession? If yes, how do you tackle with it?

IPS Shweta Chauhan: I have never come across any overt sexism in my career so far in Delhi Police. But yes, covertly these are perceptions and exceptions that exist – something akin to stereotypes – that we must counter.

The Police Department (like all other workplaces) is made up of people. These people come with their own baggage of customs, traditions and beliefs. They all come with a certain idea of how a woman should be, how she should behave, etc. these ideas work invisibly under the surface and affect you. The key is to remain true to who you are. Believe in your own abilities and talent. “I am here as an officer because I deserve to be here”. I tell this to myself every day and work from this positivity.

And of course, never put up with any discrimination and injustice. Just be confident and express your views.

Certainly, people will take a note and respond. My strategy is: be confident, be correct, be on the right side of justice.

minor girl kidnapped from Bengaluru and found these young girls locked up there.

It was a very emotionally rewarding moment for me as a young woman officer.

Anu Natasha Sharma

DSA: How do you like to spend your free time?

IPS Shweta Chauhan: In my free time, I like to read. I read a lot of historical fiction and biographies. My current favourites are Alex Rutherford and Philippa Gregory. I also find gardening very relaxing.

DSA: Apart from Delhi, which other Indian state you would like to work in?

The writer is the Manager - PR & Communications of Defence and Security Alert Magazine and Food and Beverage Buzz Magazine

IPS Shweta Chauhan: If given an opportunity, I would love to work in another metropolis in India for example: Mumbai or Bengaluru and find out how differently challenging it is when compared to policing in Delhi.

DSA: Your advice to all the females who aspire to join the Indian Police Service?

IPS Shweta Chauhan: My advice would be to be confident, hardworking and, be ready to learn and adapt. The UPSC has selected you to be a woman officer. There is no need to lose your femininity, empathy, ability to be emotionally wired, joyous temperament – all that which characterises you as a women – to be an officer. Don’t aspire to be a man, be a capable woman, a successful woman, a woman everyone would be proud of. I would also advise all new officers to be technically sound, learn their work and be meticulous and professional in their approach.

DSA: What has been the most memorable moment in your career so far?

IPS Shweta Chauhan: There has been many memorable times. One instant, which was truly satisfying was when as ACP at Kamla Market, I rescued a dozen minor girls from a brothel at GB Road. We had gone looking for a March 2017

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gender disparity OCCUPATION OF CHOICE

More Reach The Top Of Their Jobs

The literature on the role of women as key players with active role in warfare is scarce. The dominant literature has often awarded secondary roles to women in war. These roles have been lesser than active combat. In the contemporary times, there has been a major noticeable change where women in defence forces have come up and excelled in various roles.

S

ide-lining the age old traditions and scepticism about women’s ability to participate in warfare the brief history of 21st century paints a contrary picture. Women have increasingly become active in the defence forces and also in combat roles. This phenomenon has been witnessed in many States across the globe. The structure and institutions have altered themselves and have opened their doors for a gender neutral future. All across the globe women in defence services have surpassed several hurdles and have assumed some major positions of authority. One can assert that the contemporary change has largely been in the qualitative realm where some women in the defence forces have reached the zenith of their institution. However, the quantitative change is yet to happen. It would happen when women participation in defence forces and especially in combat roles, which have been traditionally dominated by men, would increase and reflect the gender ratio of the population at least. The paper looks at a number of worth citing accomplishments of women in defence forces, especially those who have attained remarkable success and in the process have furthered gender neutrality for the Services. It also evaluates the impact of the institutional changes brought by various national defence forces to break the gender stereotypes. The following paper divides the major developments into three sub-themes to evaluate the impact of each on the growth of women’s participation in the defence forces in general.

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Structural And Institutional Changes

At the very beginning of the new millennium, optimism came from Israel which formed the Caracal Battalion, which is the country’s first mixed female and male combat unit. The decision was backed by a crucial amendment to the Military Service law which while ascertained equality for women by proclaiming an equal right for women to serve in any role in the Israel Defence Forces. Opening of doors towards the much desired and awaited gender neutral participation for women in almost all roles in the forces goes a long way. Through the initiatives taken up by Israel and its mixed female and male combat unit, countries can set examples for others. In 2007, the United Nations came up with its first all-women peacekeeping force to be deployed in Liberia. The peacekeeping force was made up of 105 Indian policewomen.

The Afghan National Army in 2010 opened its doors for first batch of women officers. In 2016, the Indian Air Force commissioned the first batch of women fighter pilots in the Services. The previous year the defence forces decided on integrating officers also as combat air force fighter pilots breaking the age old norm of ‘only men’ suitable for the job. However, women already have been there as helicopter pilots in the IAF previously.

Women In Positions Of Authority

Positions of power or the high ranks in the defence forces have rarely been occupied by women in history.

Although, the history of previous few centuries had instances of women warriors and women being actively involved in warfare as an activity yet, the recent history has somehow side-lined the role of women in warfare. The 21st century, thus, is a departure where participation and greater integration of women in defence forces even in the combat roles has been on the rise. Breaking another stereotype in 2001, Hikaru Saeki became the first female star officer in the history of the Japan SelfDefense Forces (JSDF) with her promotion to Rear Admiral. The same year Julie Hammer became the first woman Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy. Women reaching for the higher positions in defence forces signal towards their equal participation and also the absence of any artificial barrier based on gender to stop them from being equal to their male counterparts.

Later, in the second decade of the 21st century, there came up other examples of women at positions of power.

Yang Seung Sook becoame the first female general in the history of the South Korean military. Such living examples of women reaching out for higher positions in the defence forces of countries like Japan, Australia, South Korea, suggests that the “so-called” glass-ceiling that had acted as a barrier between women and the high positions in their respective fields due to gender disparities has started losing its existence.

Many Asian and African states have also brought to fore several instances of women reaching the zenith.

In 2010, Itunu Hotonu became the first Nigerian woman to become rear admiral in the Nigerian Navy.

Similarly, Ramona Go served as Philippine army’s first female general.

Women In Combat Roles

Anu Manisha Sharma Chaurasiya

Combat can be defined as an engagement fought between two military forces. At the end of the 20th century various defence forces attempted greater integration of women in combat roles. These roles have traditionally been male dominated as actual war fighting was perceived to be totally a man's activity. Even The writer is a in classical anthropology, PhD Research it was thought that women Scholar, Centre were excluded from warfare for International because they lacked the Politics, Organisation basic ‘aggressive instinct’ and Disarmament, which allowed men to be Jawaharlal Nehru successful in war1. Breaking University. gender stereotypes in 2001, Roni Zuckerman became the first commissioned female jet fighter pilot for the Israeli Air Force. Maryse Carmichael became the first female Snowbird pilot in Canada. The individual accomplishment of women, especially in combat roles, is closely linked to the institutional changes which further the gender neutrality.

This was followed by three female air force officers becoming fighter pilots in South Korea. Instances of women becoming fighter pilots and often being the first-of-the-kind to become fighter pilots in the history of their respective countries has definitely given a proud moment to many. The Indian first women fighter pilots commissioned in 2016 were Bhawana Kanth, Avani Chatuvedi and Mohana Singh each having about 150 hours of flying.

The literature on the role of women as key players with active role in warfare has been scarce. The dominant literature has often awarded secondary roles to women in war. These roles have been lesser than active combat. In the contemporary times, there has been a major noticeable change where women in defence forces have come up and excelled in various roles. Combat roles being one such arena. Previously, there was a lot of confusion on what women can or cannot do in combat but presently, a lot of fog has cleared on this aspect. Women as fighter pilots are breaking the stereotypical role of women as not capable of managing combat. The words of Indian Air Chief Arup Raha deserve a mention. In 2016, at the commission of women fighter pilots in the IAF, he said that “the woman fighters will get no preference and will be assigned as per requirements of the force”2. The thought goes a long way in paving a path of equality for women in the forces irrespective of their gender. After all, the notion of equal treatment and honour has been at the nucleus of the defence forces.

1 Brett Kennedy (2005), Women and Warfare: How Human Evolution Excluded Women, Available at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&conte xt=nebanthro Accessed on 10 February, 2017.

2 Sudhi Ranjan Sen (2016), India's First Women Fighter Pilots Share Heart-In-Mouth Moments, Available at:http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indian-air-force-to-get-firstwomen-fighter-pilots-today-1420495 Accessed on 10 February, 2017.

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gender disparity DURGA SHAKTI

Making of A Female Combatant: A Three Stage Model Combatants are trained to fight and kill, and if taken prisoner by enemy forces any unimaginable and unpalatable scenarios could develop. Psychological appreciation of this factor is necessary for the institution to avoid uselessly investing in raising female combatants and then employing them in peace zones and administrative roles.

“S

he fought like a man!” is a time tested expression recurrent in fiction and nonfiction alike to sound the successes of a woman in a bout. That physical prowess and gallantry are a man’s forte and pacifism is a woman’s inherent quality is a thought deep rooted in

society’s psyche. It should, therefore, come across as no surprise that the slightest idea to include women in combat roles would generate breaking news. In recent times, declarations by the United States, Israel and India to facilitate greater inclusivity of women in combat roles created a sensation. Nonetheless, these sovereign

Induction of women in combat role is also a psycho-political issue

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Women are second to none in performance

armies are not the pioneers of female representation in the armed forces, especially in combat roles.

Interestingly, available literature on women in combat mainly comprise sub-conventional or non-traditional forces like the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the numerous formerly liberationist organisations in the African continent. In thinly populated countries like South Korea, that adhere to conscription rule to manage manpower shortages in the armed forces, participation of women is compulsory.

Therefore, the logical hypothesis is that necessity drove recruitment. A study of the role of women in these groups provides rich lessons for consideration on developing a ‘female combatant’. The principal driver for recruitment in all cases has been a combination of psycho-political factors.

In this article, I dwell on the psycho-political factors to introduce a model for developing a female combatant. The article is not an argument on whether it is right or wrong to expand women representation in the armed forces but a ‘recipe to make a woman soldier’, once the decision to include women in combat has already been made. To do so, I borrow a theory of immersion-progression-recovery designed by Frank Medrano, a calisthenics fitness trainer, to analyse some of the findings from previous case studies on women combatants.

Immersion Stage

The immersion stage of the training, according to Frank, is to develop physical and mental readiness before launching the trainee into rigorous action. In the military analogy, this factor is worthy of appreciation by both the individual recruit as well as the recruiting institution.

Studies conducted in several cases highlight that the psychological motivation for female participation in combats came from a ‘principle of necessity’. For an institutional perspective, consider the examples of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the LTTE’s Vituthalai Pulikal Munani (Women’s Front of the Liberation Tigers) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) that had a significant ratio of women to men combatants.

In 1944, the UPA transferred women from medical services to combat operations when encountered with a shortage of soldiers to resist the arrival of the Soviet Red Army. The LTTE and the FARC found similar rationale to raise women combatants. Therefore, institutionally

it was deemed necessary to Anu Dheeraj Sharma PC recruit women combatants in order to supplement the shortage of men.

From the individual perspective, interviews conducted of former IRA women combatants show a blend of psycho-political motivations for recruitment.

Most of the women interviewed by researchers admitted to The writer is an have been motivated at the independent security first instance due to gruesome analyst with primary and pathetic living conditions focus on intelligence under the British. They had and national witnessed murders, sexual security. My articles assaults and torture that on intelligence, drove them to pick arms – a counterterrorism psychological factor. However, and defence related some of the interviewees also issues have appeared admitted that participation in academic journals, in combat alongside men newspapers and in the liberation movement several security would mean political websites like Science, upliftment of women. The Technology and immersion impetus from Security Forum both the institutional as well (stsfor) and Indian Defence Review. He as individual perspective graduated with an MA was, ergo, driven by a in Geopolitics and psycho-political necessity.

International Relations If raising a woman from Manipal combatant is desired today, University before it is indispensible for both pursuing MPhil in the recruiting institution International Studies and the potential recruit to from Jawaharlal fully gain cognisance of the Nehru University. psycho-political factor at the immersion stage to negate future conflict of interests and wastage of resources. Today, manpower is not an issue that most armies have to contend with and thence, the previous institutional logic of compensating the shortage of male combatants with females is ruled out.

The psychological message to be communicated between the Armed Forces and the recruit is that service in the Armed Forces is not an employment opportunity where preferential treatment can be expected. Combatants are trained to fight and kill, and if taken prisoner by enemy forces any unimaginable and unpalatable scenarios could develop.

Psychological appreciation of this factor is necessary for the institution to avoid uselessly investing in raising female combatants and then employing them in peace zones and administrative roles. Once this is realised, the institution can draft a suitable selection and training programme alongside male combatants. The recruit’s psychological awareness is also essential in order to know that the Armed Forces are not a political platform to portray gender equality activism but an institution that functions on the logic of survival and national security.

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gender disparity DURGA SHAKTI

It is the responsibility of the institution and training officers to constantly keep the motivations of the female recruits high

Henceforth, the immersion stage is fundamentally to develop a psychological association between the Armed Forces and female recruits such that each knows the nature of their business. After breaking the psychological barriers the next stage is the progression stage where the recruits are trained and employed in battle spaces.

Security forces need to create an institutional memory featuring the achievements of female combatants in battles and wars Progression Stage

According to Frank Medrano, this is the stage where the trainee begins to see results based on the levels of efforts and challenges chosen to face and master. Applying this, the progression stage is necessary at the institutional as well as the individual level. At this stage, the Armed Forces are supposed to impart combat training to the female recruits alongside male combatants. Here, the training will be in line with the training for male recruits. Due to the novelty of the idea to include women in combat roles, it is the responsibility of the institution and training officers to constantly keep the motivations of the female recruits high and also regularly check inhibitions among male recruits regarding the futility of such endeavours.

During the progression stage, the female recruits get a firsthand experience of the difficulties of being a combatant. It is here that lessons of the immersion stage are practically realised. Consider a whole day training at the Officer’s Training Academy in the scorching Chennai

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heat for a period of a year or in the biting cold at the US Army Northern Warfare Training Center in Alaska.

It requires a lot of discipline and dedication to convert the motivation acquired in the immersion stage into concrete results. In addition to self-development, this is also the stage to showcase their leadership and combat abilities to gain the confidence of their male counterparts with whom they will have to work. An article in the Indian Defence Review noted that the soldiers were not comfortable being commanded by female officers who couldn’t run and train with them. Ergo at this stage, the security forces as an institution should progress towards a gender indiscriminate institution with an integrated operational culture.

In this stage, the training officers have a key role to play. The training officers are supposed to engage in perception management among male recruits.

Male combatants must be taught to stop observing female combatants as glamorous individuals seeking preferential treatment and interact with them as fellow combatants. Preferential treatment serves a blow to the morale and fighting spirit of the female combatants. This certainly does not imply imposing unregulated torturous methods and sexual harassment on the recruits.

Nevertheless, all efforts must be taken to psychologically convince the female combatant that the odds may not be in her favour if captured by an enemy force.

During the training, officers are also required to identify the varied skill sets before assigning combat roles to the female recruits. In the third generation warfare, which is technology dominated, it is a relatively easy task to find placements for women. But, in countries like India where the second generation fighting force still relies on combatant-to-combatant warfare assigning proper, roles for female combatants becomes challenging. Post-

training, women soldiers can be employed in fighter planes as a pilot, on combat naval ships, as tank commanders, infantry and mechanised infantry officers based on the observations made by the training officers.

Taking a cue from Norway, other countries can try to emulate the creation of the “Hunter Troop”. An all women special force was raised to suffice the institutional needs in counter-insurgency. Facing difficulties in interacting with women in combat areas and counter-insurgency operations, this elite special force unit was raised and has broken all stereotypes of male dominance.

Exempting the heavyweight rucksacks that fracture the pelvic bones, the female combatants of the unit undergo the same training as their male counterparts.

This brings us to the understudied and unrecognised, yet important, aspects of combat – intelligence gathering and covert operations. Conventional writings classify intelligence operatives as agents and non-combatants, although the risk involved is high and combat training is necessary before the launch of an operation. In this area, women have a larger operational advantage, although case specific, which the security forces must take into cognisance and groom them adequately. Israeli women have known to have served beyond enemy lines, risking their lives and providing vital information on targets.

Overall, the progression stage is a stage for both the security institutions as well as combatants to march progressively towards greater assimilation. Also, the stage mainly caters to seasoning the mental and physical abilities of the female combatants to achieve what they aspired to be. Currently, progression stage is well developed among individuals ie female combatants have exhibited their resolve and commitment to encounter difficulties, face challenges and largely, be a fighter. But, the institutions are lagging behind. This is the source of resentment and complaints from female combatants in the US, Israel and India. Change in perception among fellow male combatants and soldiers to accommodate women soldiers are to be brought about in this stage.

Failing to do this, will result in drop outs, early retirements – implying wastage of time and resources invested in raising a female combatant.

The cycle of women recruitment in the security forces must be continuously moving

Recovery Stage

Frank suggests that this is the most important part of the training – includes rest, nutrition and the overall well-being. Without this, the overall fitness training can be counter-productive. Studying the female combatants in groups like the IRA and many other African groups highlight the need for a recovery stage. Studies conducted on these groups show that while the male fighters did well post-liberation, women had a difficult time returning to the societies and gaining respectable positions.

Years of combat experience had made some women more masculine and altered their physical behaviours, and traits that were unwelcoming in the societies that had fashioned women to be pacific and maidenly in character. This is an issue that is to be dealt with at

Women officers must be active in reaching out to schools and colleges to inspire young women to pursue their dreams the individual, institutional, societal and national levels to keep the cycle of women recruitment in the security forces moving. As Frank advocates, fitness isn’t a one day affair but a prolonged activity, recruitment of female combatants – if desired to be a continuous venture and not a onetime affair – must display an upward trajectory.

In order to achieve this, the security forces must be able to motivate and encourage women to become combat aspirants by following two main prescriptions. First, the security forces need to create an institutional memory featuring the achievements of female combatants in battles and wars. These stories, instead of being privy to the military libraries, must reach the masses.

Second, women officers must be active in reaching out to schools and colleges to inspire young women to pursue their dreams. These achievers can convince the society at large, to break the stereotypes and accept women as a martial gender. Nothing provokes an invitation better than money and public glorification does. Historically, societal transformations have been based on this principle. If the returns are high, people are willing to take the risk. It is, thence, the role of the experienced women officers to buttress the combat interests in young women. Men in uniform can play a supporting role in appreciating the role played by their sisters-in-arms.

To that end, raising a female combatant is a challenging task, but not impossible. The immersion-progressionrecovery model presented above is an ideal recipe for developing a dedicated force of women combatants.

The model must, however, be followed in a cyclic mode – each stage complementing the other. Nevertheless, like all revolutionary affairs the first generation of combatants will have difficulties. As Shalev and Tekoah describe it – they are fighting in a war zone, while at the same time struggling with their brothers-in-arms to integrate into the army and to gain an equal position in the military.

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aero India

ONE STOP FOR MILITARY AVIATION

AERO INDIA 2017

Asia’s Premier Air Show 14-18 February 2017

Major Hub For Aircraft Supplies

Since the launch of the ambitious 'Make in India' initiative, nearly three dozen licences have been issued in the defence sector to produce items including light armoured vehicles, artillery weapon systems, the UAVs and underwater systems.

T

he fastest growing economy in the world, India is also the biggest buyer of military hardware.

Aviation is the medium of the future and military aviation is where most of the money is going.

The five-day aviation fair, Aero India 2017 opened at Yelhanka air base in Bengaluru on 14 February 2017.

Bigger than the previous years, it had participation of 72 aircrafts, 550 companies (270 Indian) and 51 countries.

The display was spread over 27,000 sq m. It is considered as the largest air show in Asia. Foreign delegations were led by Defence Ministers and Air Chiefs. Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated the event and was the chief host. Make-in-India was the punch line and all major aviation players had something to offer to the Indian aviation sector. On the sidelines, there were seminars on trends and technologies along with cocktails and dinners.

Bengaluru is a great location for the air show. The month of February has a great flying environment.

The city has great connectivity and is easy to reach and has great hotels, resorts and conference facilities.

Other than being the world capital of software, it has all major aviation industry players including the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) units including the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). The Flight Test

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Centre of Indian Air Force (IAF), Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) operates here.

Air Display

The air show opened with an impressive fly-past which composed of among others a mixed formation of the HTT-40, Hawk, SU-30 MKI, Dornier and Mirage-2000 aircraft. The twice a day daily air display was an adrenaline raising activity and a real show stealer especially for the visiting public and aviation enthusiasts. The IAF’s Surya Kiran formation aerobatic team performed for the first time on Hawk aircraft. The HAL’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) made very impressive display, and also attracted many visitors at the ground display. Aerodynamics defying display by SU-30 MKI has always been a star attraction. The Rafale continued to enthrall the audiences. The Mirage-2000 and Pilatus PC-7 Mk II also put up displays.

Big Ticket Systems

It was the first Aero India for Dassault after the Rafale contract was signed. They came with a big delegation.

Three Rafale aircrafts were flown in. They not only put up great air display, they also offered flights to many aviation enthusiasts, defence journalists and senior

defence officers. Industrialist Anil Ambani, whose Reliance Defence is working closely with Dassault, also flew the Rafale. It was great symbolism indeed.

Russians will build Kamov 226 Light Utility helicopters in Joint Venture with the HAL. They had a big stall. The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia had displayed the T-50 (PAK-FA) model, but interestingly the HAL stall did not have the FGFA model on display. This became more conspicuous when the Defence Minister said that there were still issues to be resolved on aircraft. Meanwhile,

Defence Minister Parrikar announced the launch of an innovation fund for private defence start-ups the Russians were still pitching for a possible MiG-35 sale. The Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) Rotem-L loitering Kamikaze quadcopter was on display but did not fly. Also, the IAI Panther tilt-rotor, fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) was showcased. The Airbus HC helicopter demonstrated rapid evacuation and air ambulance role.

The Airbus HC Panther model was also on display with a hope that there may be movement in Indian Navy’s Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) proposal. The Airbus also projected that they have already set up a Centre of Excellence for aerospace development in Hyderabad. The Swedish Saab, Israel’s Rafael and Raytheon of the USA displayed secondary sensors and weapons offered for the LCA. General Atomics displayed the Guardian UAS. They are still awaiting clarity in the policies of the new US administration before offering more systems. The BAE Systems had also displayed a model of the ‘Taranis’ UCAV demonstrator.

Aircraft Competitors

The two main contenders for India’s single engine fighter competition were present, showcasing and networking.

The Saab brought the Gripen Anu Air Marshal Sharma C and the F-16 Block 70 in the Anil Chopra PVSM, AVSM, VM, IAF colours was showcased VSM (Retd) at the Lockheed Martin Stall. The flying display F16s were from the US Pacific Air Command. Both the competitors performed air displays and attracted large number of visitors at their static display area. The Saab offered a more sweetened sensor support package for the LCA as part of the Gripen offer. Another running The writer was a pioneer competition is for the IAF’s of the Mirage 2000 fleet and commanded a tanker. The Boeing KC-46, Mirage Squadron, two IL-78M and Airbus A-330 are operational air bases the contenders. The Boeing and the IAF’s Flight Test Defence displayed an F-18 on Centre ASTE. He was its stall with Indian colours. the Team Leader of an Their hope got rekindled aircraft upgrade project with the Defence Minister, in Russia. Currently, Parrikar, announcing that he is a member of the the Indian Navy will need 57 Armed Forces Tribunal twin engine carrier aircraft, at Lucknow.

He was the however he made it clear that Flying Display Director the decision on the twin-engine during Aero India 2003. fighter aircraft bids by Boeing (F-18) and Dassault's Rafale will be taken up only after the ‘Strategic Partnership Policy’ is announced in the very near future. Yet, the Saab's Gripen maritime variant was being pitched for the Indian Navy.

India’s DRDO And DPSUs Showcased The DRDO and HAL were visible with their huge presence.

India’s LCA was the star attraction at the air show. The LCA two-seat was flying here for the first time and offered

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aero India

ONE STOP FOR MILITARY AVIATION

customer demo flights. The first to fly was the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa. Many other enthusiasts also got sorties on the LCA. The LCA also demonstrated pair take-offs. There were huge hoardings of the IAF’s first LCA squadron ‘The Flying Daggers’ (45 Squadron). Meanwhile, the ADA made another attempt to push for and showcase the Naval LCA variant. The HAL’s Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) and the Basic Trainer Aircraft HTT-40 were on display. The HTT-40 put up an impressive flying display. The HAL-BAE Systems Advanced Hawk with greater operational capability was unveiled for the first time. The HAL also show-cased it’s Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). Notwithstanding the selection and its JV for Ka-226T, the HAL is still pushing its LUH. The LCH performance was impressive, and even the former Air Chief, Air Chief Marshal Fali H Major flew the LCH. The HAL also displayed for the first time, a full scale mock-up of its envisaged Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH). The IAF symbolically took over the DRDO-Embraer AEW&C aircraft at the air show among public acclaim and is now christened ‘Netra’. Interestingly, ‘Netra’ is also the name of a DRDO drone. Indonesia has shown keen interest and could be its first foreign customer. The DRDO also displayed the Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM). Its Rustam-H Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV attracted many visitors. The Rustom II has been rechristened ‘Tapas’. The IAF’s Mirage 2000 was displayed with the Popeye cruise missile. Three concept design models of Advanced Multirole Combat

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Aircraft (AMCA) were on display and a detailed video indicated zero stealth configuration.The DRDO-Airbus combine also displayed a model for indigenous AWACS. Meanwhile, the ADA showcased the AURA UCAV which has been rechristened ‘Ghatak’. Indian AESA for LCA and AMCA will be ready for ground trials later this year, the DRDO announced. India’s heavy torpedo ‘Varunastra’ and advanced light torpedo ‘Shyena’ were on display.

The DRDO laboratory DARE stall had displayed the great indigenous Electronic Warfare capability. The DRDO’s GTRE had a model of the mini jet-engine for the UAV applications. The DRDO’s SIVA targeting pod for SU-30 MKI was displayed on the stall. Also on display was DRDO’s Dhruvastra twin-rail launcher for the Helina ATGM. The DRDO once again confirmed that attempts are being made to revive the Kaveri jet engine with help of SAFRAN Snecma. The analog radar warning receiver (RWR) of the SU-30 MKI will soon be replaced by indigenous ‘’Dhruti’ digital RWR by DARE. National aeronautics Laboratory (NAL) displayed their ‘Suchan’ mini-UAV now named ‘Sky Eagle’.

Make In India Aviation

All international players have become very conscious of India’s clearly articulated Make-in-India requirements.

The Prime Minister, Modi, has made it clear that he wants the current Indian 70 per cent defence imports to be reduced to below 40 per cent and increase the 5 per cent share of the private partners. Defence Procurement

Policy 2016 has brought Indian private firms at par with foreign players in terms of contract concessions and options. The 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been already cleared for state-of-the-art defence projects. Big private industrial houses like Reliance, Tatas, L&T, Mahindras, Bharat Forge and others have come into defence manufacturing in a serious way and all were in big presence at the air show.

‘Make’ procedure encourages increased participation of the Indian industry, especially MSMEs. A large number of smaller Indian players are making a huge un-sung contribution and exporting to global aviation players. Many of them were present at the air show.

Indian private industry seems to have gone beyond pussy-footing and have begun investing big. The Tata Power and Larsen & Toubro had a big presence. They manufacture Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers; modernisation of air field infrastructure for the IAF; the Indian Army’s two electronic warfare systems to be deployed in mountainous regions; Akash Army Launcher and Integrated EW System for the Indian Army and the Akash Air Force Launcher for the Indian Air Force. The Reliance has consolidated into an active aerospace, shipping and homeland security conglomerate. Indian private firm Poeir Jet claimed it was India’s first company to design and build small jet engines. The Adani group is a recent entrant into defence production. They had a huge stall at the air show. They had showcased the Hermes 900 MALE UAS. They are also talking to Saab for possible tie-up for Gripen production in India.

Local Manufacturing

The EADS unit Cassidian plans to make India a hub for large number of defence products that are locally manufactured and also offer technological value. General Electric has a huge India presence. The BAE's US arm plans to shift howitzer assembly to India. There is also a large MRO market which can create R&D base for engineering services. Bengaluru based Centum Group is making defence electronics for French defence solutions provider Thales and are supplying around the world. The Mahindra Aerospace are already making small aircraft and selling in Australia and elsewhere. They also manufacture many metallic aero-components for several Airbus aircraft and will deliver in excess of a million parts per annum.

The Bharat Forge is aiming to become a major player in the artillery and specialised vehicles segment. Also, they have tied with the Rafale for many technologies. The Bharat Forge claim to have ready fighter engine and will be showcasing it shortly. That will be a great achievement indeed. Several small companies – such as Dynamatic Technologies, Avasarala Technologies, DefSys, Ravilla and Taneja Aerospace – have of late acquired advanced technological capabilities. Dynamatic Technologies makes assemblies of vertical fins for Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters.

The Samtel electronics makes SU-30 Head Up Displays and other electronics. Indian companies have global opportunities it has developed the ability to manufacture accurately to specifications, particularly in aerospace, metalworking and electronics. Indian private firm ‘Vem technologies’ displayed a man-portable ATGM and is also developing laser guided bombs (LGBs).

Major Announcements

Defence Minister, Parrikar announced the launch of an innovation fund for private defence start-ups with contributions from the HAL and BEL. He also said that the government was to trying to create better eco-system for more Indian and foreign firm partnerships. As a follow up of LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement) with the USA, Reliance Defence recently signed the Mastership repair agreement with the US Navy for the 7th fleet. The Rostec (Russia) (49.5 per cent) and HAL (50.5 per cent) signed a JV for the Ka-226T LUH. The Larsen & Toubro (51 per cent) and MBDA (49 per cent) have established a joint venture to develop and manufacture missiles. First, two GE 414 engines for LCA Mk II reportedly arrived this month and eight more have been ordered. The Thales Group and Bharat Dynamics Ltd signed an MoU to explore ToT for ‘STAR Streak’ short range MANPADs. The first Apache helicopter fuselage manufactured by Hyderabad facility of Tata-Boeing Aerospace Ltd (TBAL) will be ready for delivery in 2018. The Raytheon and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) signed an MoU for co-production of Stinger missile components. Bharat Forge claims to be in an advanced stage to announce readiness of their aircraft jet engine. The DRDO announced that its indigenous UAS ‘Indian Eagle’ will be fully operational later this year. It was announced that BrahMos ER (600 km) will be test fired in June-July 2017. BrahMos was on offer for export. It was also announced that the talks for Akash SAM system sale to Vietnam were still on. Reliance Defence has joined with STRATA of UAE for aerospace solutions. The National Aeronautics

Aero India is not only meant to showcase Indian products Laboratory (NAL) announced that it’s improved ‘Saras’ small utility transport aircraft will fly again in JulyAugust 2017. The HAL announced that it could re-engine the Hawk and LCH with its own in-development jet and turbo shaft engines. The HAL also has initial firm orders for 10 LCH for the IAF, five for the Army and over 120 are projected in the long run.

Last Word

Aero India is not only meant to show case Indian products and provide a platform for Indian manufacturers to meet prospective buyers but also the intention is to encourage foreign companies to set up shops in India and make it their manufacturing base not only for the Indian market but also abroad. Since the launch of the ambitious 'Make in India' initiative, nearly 3 dozen licences have been issued in the defence sector to produce items including light armoured vehicles, artillery weapon systems, UAVs and underwater systems. Private players have also been given industrial licences to produce electronic warfare systems, air defence weapons, and armoured panels for helicopters among other items. India is slowly getting set to become a major hub for aircraft aggregate’s supplies.

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gender disparity SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE

How To Reduce It: Some Thoughts

Once women are employed, mentorship programmes should be put in place to help them get the right exposure, experience and opportunities that will help them build their career. Strong HRD and proactive Women’s Cells can chart out the relevant plans.

Women need to get empowered to reduce gender disparity

O

n the evening of 8 November 2016, Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation and announced demonetisation of the `1,000 and `500 currency notes. This was his second surgical strike within a month. The second half of the

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last century witnessed tremendous advances, especially in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In my field of publishing, the printing machine invented by Gutenberg, after being used almost unchanged for nearly five hundred years, gave way to offset printing to Desktop

Printing (DTP) within a space of fifty years. This, in turn, has given way to paperless publishing by way of ebooks.

Inventions of household gadgets enabled women to step out of the house and find employment in offices and factories. The spread of education and the opening of new opportunities to develop their talents as well as the availability of chances to participate in all spheres of social and economic activities have enabled women to compete with men. The ICT revolution enables them to work and earn from home.

Indian Women Achievers

India has had a long tradition of women scholars and achievers. We have read about learned women like Gargi and Maitreyi in Vedic times. It is said that in the debate between Adi Shankara and Mandanamisra, the latter’s wife was the arbitrator. Leelavati, daughter of mathematician Bhaskaracharya, learnt algebra from her father and was a well-known mathematician in her own right.

In more recent times, India’s first women doctors, Anandi Joshi and Kadambini Ganguli, graduated less than thirty years after the world’s first woman doctor.

Dr Kamala Sohonie was the first Indian woman to get a PhD in a scientific discipline. Dr Asima Chatterjee was the first woman to win the SS Bhatnagar prize in 1961 and was also the first woman to head the Indian Science Congress in 1975.

Today, women professionals in all branches of science, engineering and medicine can be found in academia, industry and R&D organisations. They have reached the highest posts like the Secretary to the Government of India, Vice Chancellors of Universities and Directors of R&D laboratories or establishments. They have responded well to the Make in India campaign; quite a sizeable number of women can be found in the start-up scene.

Gender equality can be achieved only if everybody, irrespective of gender, enjoys the same opportunities as well as rewards Women of Indian origin have made a mark internationally also. The late Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian woman to go into space. Sunita Williams holds a record for total spacewalks by a woman and most spacewalks time for a woman. She was Commander of one of the expeditions of the International Space Station. Arati Prabhakar has headed the United States' DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency).

India has the distinction of having had a woman Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces when Smt Pratibha Patil was the President of India.

Indian women could join the Armed Forces as doctors, dentists or nurses since before Independence from 1941.

They were allowed to join as officers in combat support services (aviation, logistics, law, engineering) since the early 1990s. In a recent development, the first

batch of three women pilots have been inducted into the IAF fighter squadron in June 2016. Indian Navy Ship Mhadei has been helmed by an all women crew.

Anuradha Ravi Anu Sharma

Women Scientists In Defence R&D

Let us now come to the situation in my parent organisation. The Defence The writer retired as Research and Development Additional Director, Organisation (DRDO) works DRDO, Ministry of under Department of Defence Defence, Government of Research and Development, India in May 2014 after Ministry of Defence. The DRDO 29 years of service. Prior is dedicatedly working towards to joining the DRDO, enhancing self- reliance in she was Senior Science defence systems. It is engaged Editor with Macmillan in design and development Publishers, Delhi. She has leading to production of several papers on S&T world class weapon systems communication and IT and equipment. Its work to her credit. She is the covers various areas of co-editor of two books: military technology such as “Bibliographic Databases aeronautics, armaments, and Networks” by Tata combat vehicles, electronics, McGraw Hill and ‘Medical Informatics’, brought instrumentation, engineering out by Society for Bio systems, missiles, materials, Medical Technology. She naval systems, Advanced received the National Computing Simulation and Science Day Oration Life Sciences Spinoff benefits Medal and Popular of the DRDO’s technologies Science Communication benefit the society at large.

Award during her The DRDO has a sizeable service.

Her popular number of women working articles have appeared in scientific, technical and in national dailies.

Her administrative cadres. The fields of special interest women scientists have are S&T communication a variety of challenging with reference to new assignments from missiles information technologies to submarines. Over the and knowledge years, the number of women management. scientists in the DRDO has shown an upward trend. It was one of the earliest organisations to have a woman Director, Dr Avtar Pennathur, a well-known psychologist.

Dr Rukmini Shankaran was Director of Defence Food Research Laboratory.

I had conducted a study of women in S&T in 1993 as a part of project work for a Diploma in Management. I had collected information on the number of men and women scientists in the DRDO at various levels. There was no woman Sc G, the highest level at that time and only one Sc F out of a total of 289. The percentage at the entry level, Sc B was better, 290 out of 1669.

I had compared these figures with the current figures in 2006 for presenting a paper at a conference and found that the proportion of women scientists at the middle to senior levels (Sc D, E, F) had gone up. Not only that, the percentage increase in the case of women scientists was March 2017

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gender disparity SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE much higher than the overall increase in the number of scientists. However, there were no women at the new higher levels; that of Distinguished Scientist (DS) or Outstanding Scientist (OS).

Growth At Top Echelons

The current situation is more heartening. During the last decade, many women scientists have headed the DRDO Laboratories and Establishments in various parts of the country. There are several women at the higher levels of the echelon. They are from diverse research backgrounds.

Ms J Manjula, Distinguished Scientist, was appointed as DRDO’s first Director General as DG Electronics & Communication Systems in September 2015. Prior to this, she was director at Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE).

Dr Shashi Bala Singh, Distinguished Scientist, has been Director General Life Sciences since November 2016.

She was director at Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) before taking over as DG and was heading the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) prior to that.

development programme, particularly the Agni series of surface to surface ballistic missiles; the media loves to describe her as Ágni Putri. She is presently heading the Advanced Systems Laboratory.

Dr Chitra Rajagopal, Outstanding Scientist, was Director, Centre for Fire, Explosives and Environment Safety (CFEES) since April 2014 and took over as Chief Controller R&D (System Analysis and Modelling) with effect from 14 December 2016.

There are three other women Outstanding Scientists; Dr Kala in the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Jayashree Varadan in the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) and Suma Varughese at the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS).

Dr Hina Gokhale, Sc H is heading the Directorate of Personnel, an important Corporate Directorate at the DRDO Headquarters.

Who knows, the DRDO may perhaps be headed by a woman scientist or engineer in the near future!

Half Full Or Half Empty?

Dr Tessy Thomas, Outstanding Scientist, has been associated with India’s successful indigenous missile

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Though the number of women in scientific and other organisations has increased over the years, it has not kept pace with other parameters; the number of women at the top is still quite less. The proportion of women drops from nearly fifty per cent at the time of passing out from college gradually to almost single digits at the highest levels. This is true irrespective of the type of organisation.

There can be many reasons for this gender disparity in workplaces, especially at higher levels. Many women who join the workforce leave midway. Surveys have shown that women scientists are twice as likely to leave as men.

Literature survey shows this to be the case in the Armed Forces also. The phenomenon has been referred to as Ínternal Brain Drain. Some factors that force women to take this step may be as follows: • Caring for new-born children. The majority of women who leave the jobs do so after childbirth.

• Pressure of having to look after educational needs of growing children.

• Caring for older relatives.

• Posting of self or spouse in different places of work.

• Inability to cope with increased responsibilities that come with higher posts.

Last, but not the least is the role of perception.

Though there is no difference is salary, gender bias still exists. Women still have to prove to be twice as good as men to be accepted as equals at each step. If there are two candidates - a male and a female - with the same qualifications, it is likely that the male applicant will be hired.

The gender bias can be subtle. In a meeting, the opinions or suggestions by a woman will not be taken seriously. After a few minutes, a male colleague will pick up the idea, rephrase it and present it and the same will be given due consideration.

Equal Opportunity And Rewards

Gender equality can be achieved only if everybody, irrespective of gender, enjoys the same opportunities as well as rewards. Organisations should not only be equal opportunity employer but be sensitive to women’s needs.

Based on my research for the project work in 1993 (mentioned earlier) on work-life balance, I had come to the following conclusions: • There is a strong need to create more part-time jobs or more projects which can be completed at home.

• A crèche at workplace is a necessity.

• The related areas that go with dual responsibilitytime management, stress management – have not received much treatment at the hands of researchers.

• The physical and psychological well-being of women will not only be reflected in their performance and productivity, it will indirectly affect the productivity of their male colleagues and that of their husbands Interestingly, the deliberations of the Panel Discussion of a one day workshop on Empowering the Woman R&D Professional organised by the DRDO as a part of the Women’s Day celebrations on 8 March 2006 in which representatives of the DRDO top management also participated, threw up similar suggestions: • Flexitime or Flexi pay concept to be considered for both men and women; • Possibility of working from home for certain categories; • Opening of creches where they don’t exist; and • Yoga classes for the DRDO personnel The situation remains more or less the same today also. There is a strong need to create a better workplace experience for women. The following suggestions may help in reducing the gender disparity: • Removing gender biases. Many a time, it is sub-conscious on the part of men. Seniors and persons in charge of the HRD should be taught to recognise these biases so that they can be avoided at the time of selection interviews, assessment for promotion and indeed, on a day to day basis. During the DRDO Golden Jubilee Celebrations, the DEBEL (Defence Bioengineering and Electro medical Laboratory), Bangalore where

I was working at that time, was coordinating the Life Sciences Cluster Conference to be held in Delhi. In a meeting to draw up the organising committee, only male scientists’ names were being proposed (I was the coordinator, incidentally). When I questioned this, I was told that women scientists may find it difficult to go outstation for nearly a week. I argued with the Director and other seniors and convinced them that such is not always the case and managed to get two women (one of them married) included in the Organising Committee. They benefitted from the exposure.

• Provide Better Facilities. Apart from creches at workplaces, lactation rooms and other such facilities will make the life of working women easier.

• Provide Conducive Atmosphere. Once women are employed, mentorship programmes should be put in place to help them get the right exposure, experience and opportunities that will help them build their career. Strong HRD and proactive Women’s Cells can chart out the relevant plans. Part time and work from home options at least for short stretches of time will help young women to have better work-life balance and go a long way in relieving their stresses and guilty consciences. I was lucky to have an understanding boss way back in the early 1980s when I was with a prominent publishing house. He allowed me to carry my editing work home for a week in the absence of my normal child care support service.

I was immensely grateful to him and thought it was a win-win situation. Nowadays, with advances in technology such options should be possible in many more areas of work.

• Women Empowerment. The best way to reduce gender disparity is for women to get empowered.

While waiting for the situation to change for the better and organisations to take steps to improve the situation, they can see what they can do to help themselves. They should be more self-confident, assertive and learn to take criticism in their stride.

They should be proud of their work and shouldsee to it that it gets the recognition it deserves. Women should volunteer for assignments that would bring them due rewards and should raise to the situation whenever needed. Dr Shashi Bala Singh of the DRDO mentioned earlier that she had to face a severe landslide when she was director of the DIHAR and earned appreciation for the masterly way in which she handled the situation that saved costly equipment and the lives of laboratory animals.

In any organisation, the higher one climbs, more will bear the managerial responsibilities. Along with technical skills and keeping abreast of the developments in their area of specialisation, women have to develop managerial skills like networking, delegation, communication, etc.

They should take advantage of their inherent strengths like multitasking.

Instead of being overtly pessimistic or overtly optimistic, one should take a balanced view. Reducing gender disparity in workplace is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders.

March 2017

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gender disparity A personal memoir

The Metamorphosis From ‘Chhori’ to ‘Sir’ The debates on gender parity or lack of it, should soon become history in the Services in the times to come.

T

hose were the early days; years before the turn of the millennium, when women officers in ones and twos started to make an entry into combat units. This work recounts my personal experience during the time when I was the Commanding Officer of my unit. After a hands-full tenure at Srinagar, doing our assigned roles of Convoy Protection, Road Domination and picketing in the then boiling hot-pot of insurgency, I had just brought down my unit to Devlali Cantonment. The social side of life was just about warming up as ladies of the unit were reuniting with their spouses. Something new happened then.

I found myself interviewing the first woman officer who had joined my unit a day back. I must admit that there was a little unease. May be, a feeling of a little discomfiture of something that one was not accustomed to in the 25 odd years gone by.

“Sir, I am Lt Julie (name changed). My father is a naval officer. My mom is a homemaker and an educator.

My training experience...” She was responding to my

questions confidently. Interview finished, the officer was assigned to a subunit, life moved on. In the next few months, me and the unit went through some ‘new’ experiences. A brief snapshot:

I feel that the last of bastions of perceived disparity are also crumbling

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The Evolution •

My unit is a pure unit comprising of Rajput, Ahir and Brahmin troops. None of them could imagine a women around them, that also with a pip on her shoulder. Their reference to her amongst themselves started as ‘chori’ (girl). There were sometimes issues of a little hesitation, especially with the senior among them in carrying out her instructions. She also remained aloof initially.

•

The 1,000 of us were very regular in the morning PT. Julie normally stood in the rear as super-numerie and did some exercises as the men folk went out for a run. Many of them, seeing her in brief, stole glances that conveyed a bit of unusuality. After all, never a ‘chori’ they had seen on the parade.

•

One fine day, Julie insisted that she would like to join the daily run with the squads. Looks unbelievable today but during those initial days, it was new. I cut across the procedural reluctance and let her in. She did remarkably well and came ahead of many a trooper. A slow transformation was setting in. I could see and hear occasionally that her addressal was gradually changing from ‘chori’ to ‘madame’.

•

In the early days, there were issues about letting her go alone for night duty check round. We used to send a youngster along. There was reluctance in taking her for Test Exercise and firing at Mahajan Camp.

There were suggestions to make her rear party in charge. What about shared accommodation as was the norm with bachelors those days. No way...

•

I remember a dining out Party, days after her arrival.

I saw her towing behind the ladies for picking her plate as the dinner was laid. “Julie come here,” the Mess Secretary called. “You need to decide today, lady or lady officer? If you are the former, go take your plate but if you are the latter, then you jolly well wait for your turn as per the norms of Mess protocol.” An important lesson was driven home.

•

As time passed, she made her entry slowly and confidently into play grounds, langars, lines, unit cadres. Men also were getting over the unease over her presence. I believe something tangible changed forever in the minds of the men, the day she beat more than half the regiment in the Adm inspection BPET, which as per her timings she had made it into ‘excellent’. A few weeks down the line, her battery lifted the Inter battery Volley Ball Championship with her being in the team and participating actively. I could now sporadically hear ‘sir’ being used by men instead of madame while talking about her to the third party.

Things were changing fast as the unease about her was evaporating on both sides. Life moved on....

To my mind, the word ‘lady’ officer or ‘woman’ officer is conceptually incorrect. You are an officer; period Some Advice Today, we have confident women officers in combat and non-combat units going about performing the unit chores with total ease and comfort with the male environment with both officers and men fully accustomed to their coexistence, though some issues of gender biases still remain.

Talking of the perceived gender biases. I have this to say to the women officers: •

To my mind, the word ‘lady’ officer or ‘woman’ officer is conceptually incorrect. Why lady or women? We don’t call the others as ‘male’ officers. Prefixing either of the above two words gives some sort of a sense that they are different, they are soft, they are vulnerable, they cannot be doing this or that, they need a separate treatment or set of rules...

•

The system will take the biggest step towards gender parity the day we let go of the above two words. You are an officer; period. You have joined the forces on your own sweet will. You have willingly accepted the risks that go with a soldierly way of life. You are equal among equals.

•

The only task out of the total regimental continuum you may not be assigned to are the ones that either lie beyond your physical capabilities or may endanger your honour in facing the enemy. For the rest, there is no distinction. Be it camps, firing, or night duties in counter insurgency environment. The inherent risks are a part of the game which you have accepted to play willingly.

•

If you have aspirations to command, the units then go ahead by all means. The only condition besides competitive merit and selection is that you have to rough it out by coming up through the paces and be wedded to the Chetwode moto all along. There is no part of the soldiering which a potential CO has not been through. The same applies to you. For instance, if the unit tradition for every new inductee

is to live and dine with the men, so be it.

•

Like I said, your physical vulnerability and honour are the two NO GOs which the system will stand by to protect at all costs.

You must appreciate that you are usurping the exclusive share out of the finite goodies meant for youngsters in the unit at your age and service brings a sense of deprivation (read frustration) in your male counterparts. Why should he not get a night off just because you won’t go out and do a night shift or pick up your share of some other risk-ridden duty? Risk to life and limb is written in the DNA of the pledge you have taken.

For the male youngsters, I say there is no ‘lady’ or ‘woman’ officer. These are your colleages who have taken the same oath as you. They have the same aspirations, rights and privileges as you and therefore, they must be ready to do willingly what belongs to them as officers of the unit. They are your peers, your competitors, your colleagues. That said, it is the duty of all to keep in mind their physical vulnerability and safety of honour at all times.

Anu Sharma Lt Gen (Dr) Vijay Kumar Saxena PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)

•

Disparity A Fading Phenomenon

The writer is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, College of Defence Management and the coveted, National Defence College. He has served as the Additional Director General Army Air Defence at Army HQ and as the Commandant of the prestigious Army Air Defence College. He is the only Army Air Defence Officer to have had the privilege to Command the Army Air Defence College for the second time. Decorated thrice by the President of India, the General Officer took over as the Director General Army Air Defence on 1 July 2013, from where he superannuated on 31 May 15. Post superannuation, he has been re-employed as Advisor in Bharat Electronics Limited, where he is facilitating many an ongoing project towards their completion and rendering other knowledge-based services.

My experience of more than four decades in uniform and several decades of co-existence with women officers says: • We as a system have moved far ahead of the core issues of raw and blunt gender parity. Seeing the women in cockpits, in ships and submarines at sea and in active army units, the idea of gender disparity really seems remote.

•

With Services now opening their doors for things like Permanent Commission, command of units and more, I feel that the last bastions of perceived disparity are also crumbling. The system has to push ahead along these lines.

We have had a near full run on getting used to the idea.

The debates on gender parity or lack of it, should soon become history in the Services in the times to come.

March 2017

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gender disparity MIXED BAG

Case Study Of West Asian Nations Many policymakers around the world are arguing that women are muchneeded in the Armed Forces due to their creativity, insight and empathy, qualities that are often lacking in the male-dominated combat or military units.

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S

exuality and gender equality are inextricably linked with matters which have been highly politicised in the case of West Asian nations.

These issues were discussed invariably in West Asian modernisation and westernisation process.

While in most parts of the world, militaries continue to be commandeered by men, a growing number of women around the world are entering the Armed Forces.

However, this is still a distant possibility where various West Asian nations are concerned. Moreover, at the same time, it is also correct that the pursuit of combat and heroism is treated as an exclusively male pursuit while womenfolk are seen as a supporter to their significant other’s pursuit. Despite various, though limited, roles in the armies of past societies, the role of women particularly in combat has been controversial and it is only recently that women have begun to be given a more prominent role in the contemporary Armed Forces. As an increasing number of countries begin to expand the role of women in their militaries, the debate however, still continues. Apart from Israel, Arab armies have been slow, nearly negligent to incorporate women in their ranks as compared to their western counterparts.

Apart from Israel, Arab armies have been slow, nearly negligent to incorporate women in their ranks As far as the western perception of modernisation goes, across the Western world, there has been a general increase over recent decades in the proportion of women joining the military. The arguments related to women’s military integration are complex and manifold, and vary according to social, political, cultural and economic contexts. As goes the case of West Asia and the Northern African (WANA) region, Algeria has a number of women generals while women also serve in Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. In Syria, a number of women hold the rank of General and fight in combat units. However, within combat units in the region, women often “continue to be in traditional gendered positions such as translators or data-entry personnel or social workers and so on1”.

At present, as opposed to Anu Anu Sharma Sharma the larger role of women in Iran, it has mandatory army conscription for men aged 18 years. The recent news reports of some 3,500-odd women taking part in mastering Japanese martial art form ninjutsu indicate a role reversal in Iranian female population.

Mastering a female Japanese martial art form, especially one The writer is a associated with fearless lone Research Associate warriors, might hold a certain at the Centre for Air appeal to Iranian women who Power Studies (CAPS). have watched their government struggle for decades to weaken them in an occupation which is considered to be one of the deadliest martial art forms and is associated with cover agents and mercenary specialising in unorthodox methods of war in ancient Japan2. Learning ninjutsu is not going to undo Iran’s medieval gender restrictions but sends a message regarding its futility.

Israel

Israel is one of the few countries which allow women to serve in defence forces. In fact, Israel makes it a mandatory military service requirement for women. Even before the State of Israel was created in 1948, women played an important role in the Haganah, the forerunner to the country’s military; today, the region’s most powerful. Israeli defence forces have three mixed-gender combat battalions – namely Caracal, Lions of Jordan and Cheetahs (known in Hebrew as “baradelas”). Caracal is an infantry combat battalion of Israeli defence force. It is composed of both male and female soldiers. As of 2009, approximately 70 per cent of the battalion was female.

Caracal was formed in 2004 with the chief purpose of giving women a chance to serve in a true combat role.

This battalion was named for a desert cat whose gender can be difficult to distinguish. This battalion patrols Israel’s borders with Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula3.

Iran

Historically, the women of Iran played a major role in society before the Arabs invaded Iran (Persia) and imposed its Islamic ideology. Pre-Islamic empresses such as Pourandokht, Azarmidokht and Artemis boast of the leading role played by women in the Iranian military.

This role of women continued during the modernisation drive in Iran throughout the Pahlavi era. However, this role of women was reduced to half of that of a man postIslamic revolution in 1979 in Iran. Since then, the law and official practices of Iran place enormous restrictions on its women. But this thirty-year-old quest of Iranian revolution to force Iranian women into subservience has failed with more and more women taking part in police and the Armed Forces. At present, there are 3,500 women in Iran who are officially registered as training to become ninjas, to fight for their country in the time of need.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/women-increasingly-join-the-fight-in-israels-army/ https://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/02/20/195919.html 3 http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2013/05/16/180045066/Women-In-Combat- Lessons-From-The-Israel-Defense-Forces 1 2

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gender disparity MIXED BAG Israel’s Caracal forces hold out a proof of what women can achieve in the military. Nearly, 50 per cent of Israeli defence forces have women as lieutenants and captains.

However, unlike their male counterparts, female recruits volunteer for a combat role in the Israeli military.

There has been an increase of 7 per cent in the number of women enlisted to serve in combat units. This increase clearly indicates a change in the society with women’s participation in combat units no longer dismissed and a shortage of available soldiers due to reductions in the amount of required service time for men. In fact, the role of women in Israeli Armed Forces is rapidly changing. Israel’s army has served as an integration tool for society, bringing in Israelis of different ethnic backgrounds as well as sexual orientations, a contrast with the conservatism of much of the region. The increase in the number of women in combat indicates a change not in attitude and ideology but in the need, where Israel is concerned.

There are 3,500 women in Iran who are officially registered as training to become ninjas, to fight for their country in the time of need Turkey

Over the last few years, there have been extensive changes in the policy regarding the personnel policy of Turkish army with a substantial increase in the female recruits in the Armed Forces. In 2014, there were approximately 1,350 female officers in the Turkish Army which is 3.3 per cent of the total number of officers. Turkish Army at present employs 96 female colonels, 140 female lieutenant colonels and 360 female majors4. The numbers do not indicate women in a combat role.

However, this seems to change lately, with a lot of women being inducted into the Turkish Armed Forces in combat roles for a number of reasons. One of the reasons being Turkish Armed Forces’ deployment in Afghanistan apart from other NATO peacekeeping missions. Moreover, to have ranking female officers provides significant advantages in communicating with the local population, especially with women and carrying out civil-military cooperation projects effectively. Thus, the Turkish army is determined to establish more effective links with local populations in low-intensity conflict areas and peace support missions.

The ideological reason for increasing the number of females in the Turkish Army is that the latter has always been the leading cause of modernisation and Westernisation of the republic. The army sees itself as a pioneer in all transformation processes in the society, and more female recruits and an increase in the visibility of their presence in the Turkish Army delivers crucial messages – especially to the rural population – on equality for women and a more proactive participation of women in the society5.

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Women Integration In Armed Forces

Many policymakers around the world are arguing that women are much-needed in the Armed Forces due to their creativity, insight and empathy, qualities that are often lacking in the male-dominated combat or military units. Recent studies from Harvard business School and MIT shows that “group intelligence” of an organisation rises when women are on the teams. In today’s complex battlefields, social sensitivity is a crucial skill for military professionals. Along with this, women to fight in frontline would be more than an exercise in social equality; it would be a valuable enhancement of military effectiveness and national security6.

Moreover, the evidence from large-scale organised female participation through various types of gender integration through the participation of individual women, shows that when women have found their way into combat, they have generally performed on an equivalent to men. They can fight and they can kill7. Yet, women from West Asian nations face resistance from men when it comes to serving in frontlines.

The conservatives around the world and especially in WANA region have argued hard that the war system works to push women away from killing roles except in the direst emergencies such as when defending their homes and children. But this argument is fading. At the same time, this does not necessarily protect women participants from harm. Women have faced great danger on the battlefield, whether as nurses in frontline trenches, as powder-carriers aboard ships and in artillery units, or as helicopter pilots ferrying male troops around. What these women generally do not share with the men around them is the task of aggressive killing8.

At the same time, the conservatives around the world are arguing about this against the integration of women in combat roles on the basis of physiological reasons.

It can be effectively said that integration of women in combat armed forces depends more on the change in ideological attitudes towards women rather than pursuing modernisation and westernisation in technology. However, very few western societies allow women to participate in active combat roles including Canada, Denmark, Italy, Germany and Sweden, and each of these nations has taken a different approach to the integration of their Armed Forces. New Zealand has no restrictions on women serving in any military unit and in 1995, Norway broke new ground when it became the first country to allow women to serve on submarines, considered by many to be a male-only bastion of military service. The US also began the process of integration of women in combat as late as 20139. The cases discussed above boast of an integrating role of women in Armed Forces, historically. Women in these nations, as well as eastern nations, are striving hard for playing a more valuable role in Armed Forces. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/12/turkey-military-woman- power-personnel-increasing.html#ixzz4YXOwnocr 5 http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/12/turkey-military-woman- power-personnel-increasing.html#ixzz4YXQRCegL 6 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/women-in-combat-roles-would- strengthen-the-military/2014/04/03/f0aeb140-bb50-11e3-9a05-c739f29ccb08_ story.html?utm_term=.f9e182f11fb4 7 http://www.warandgender.com/chap2pap.htm 8 Ibid.

9 http://www.history.com/news/u-s-military-lifts-ban-on-women-in-combat 4

reader's corner

Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani of Jhansi Regiment Vera Hildebrand's work records the testimonies of the brave souls who answered Subhas Chandra Bose's call. The Danish author notes that Indian women were trained for frontline combat decades before other armies in the world did so

I

n her book Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, Vera Hildebrand, a historian, writes about how Bose set up the RJR, the Ranis that formed it, and their role in the World War and in the quest for Indian independence. In the following extract from the book, Hildebrand describes what brought the women—of varying classes, castes, faiths and ages—to the regiment.

In our interview in 2008, Captain Lakshmi casually stated, “No woman was accepted if her husband or father objected.” To prove that there were no such barriers, unmarried applicants needed the signature of their fathers and married women of their husbands on the application form. In 2008 I was surprised to hear that it seemed acceptable to Captain Lakshmi that the Indian National Army had required permission from male family members to allow adult women to join the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the INA, an organisation that was intended to be based on gender equality.

It is, of course, to be expected that those alive to be interviewed during 2008–11 included those who were the youngest when they enlisted, but many other Ranis who died before the beginning of this study were also younger than eighteen when they joined the RJR. Lakshmi Nair saw an advertisement in a Singapore newspaper that the INA wanted female freedom fighters. Her father had just died, and there was no money for food in the home of her stepmother. Her father had hated the English, so Lakshmi thought it proper that she would go to fight them while also earning a little money for the family.

When she reported for service at the Singapore camp,

(L-R) Ranis T Suppiah, Papathi Thevar, Lakshmi Naidu and Dhanam Lakshmi Suppiah, Singapore, 1944

she was at first told that at fourteen she was too young, but when she assured them that she was a good worker, she was inducted. Her stepmother, needing the income, gave her reluctant permission.

It is difficult to analyse and impossible to generalise why women enlisted in the Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Some Ranis stated their reasons concisely and probably with reasonable accuracy. Others seem to have been swept up by complicated emotions, resorting subsequently to the explanation that was most often cited by other Ranis.

The question, “Why did you join the Ranis?” was almost always at first answered, “To fight for India’s freedom” March 2017

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reader's corner

Courtesy Ponnammah Esther Nuvarednam

and “To free our Motherland.” Most of the Ranis told me that they had felt a deep desire to answer Bose’s call and to make a positive contribution to justice for India. As a fifteen-year-old, Rasammah Navarednam read about the 1919 killing of unarmed civilians in the banned book, Jallianwala Bagh–The Amritsar Massacre. A year later that account influenced her decision to join the Ranis.

Rani Rama Mehta expressed the feelings that all Ranis shared: “We worked together to do good.” The combination of the call to sacrifice for freedom and the charisma of the messenger cast a spell they could not ignore. That they had grown up believing that India was their Motherland may have played a part in giving the girls who joined the RJR incentive to fight for the freedom of India. For most Ranis, however, the connection with India was much more tenuous.

For most of the women in this study, the idea of joining the Regiment was their own, and several had to work hard to persuade their parents to sign the permission slip. Bose’s stirring speeches combined with Dr Lakshmi’s glamorous example of what a modern Indian woman might aspire to become persuaded many to join. Some of the women, however, were strongly encouraged, even pressured by their parents to enlist to become a Rani. Asha Sahay’s mother was a cousin of Subhas Chandra Bose and her father, Anand Sahay, a member of Bose’s cabinet. Anand Sahay chose to transport his sixteen-year-old daughter on a perilous journey aboard a Japanese bomber from Nagasaki in Japan to Bangkok in May 1945 so that she could join the Regiment in Bangkok for a few months after the other Ranis had returned from Burma. Although her parents were prominent members of the Indian expatriate community in Japan, Asha had been educated exclusively in Japanese schools, not the international school that most other Indian children in Japan attended.

Asha spoke no English or Hindi, only Japanese and Bengali; in almost all ways she was a typical Japanese

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Above: Ranis train with weapons built for northern European Men, Singapore, 1944; Below: The Mehta women volunteers – Lilavati Chhagalal Mehta and daughters Neelam (left) and Rama, Rangoon, Burma, 1943

girl writing haikus in beautiful calligraphy. She explained to me that she had always tried to fulfil the obligations imposed on her; joining the Ranis was probably another manifestation of her compliance.

During our long talk at her church on a Sunday after the service, petit and gentle Eva Jenny Murty stated forthrightly that she joined the Ranis in order to become a nurse. Eva Jenny’s father was a medical assistant and had had to interrupt his medical studies after two years.

She had always also wanted to attend medical school, but when her father retired with eight children in the family, there was no money for Eva Jenny to go. Giving up the dream of being a doctor, she had become a teacher, but her mother advised her not to waste her time. Instead she urged Eva Jenny to join the Ranis because she could then get her medical education as a nurse in the Rani Regiment. At age 23, Eva Jenny travelled by herself from Port Swettenham, north of Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, and reported to Camp Commandant Thevar.

This is an excerpt from Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, written

by Vera Hildebrand, and published by HarperCollins India Publishers

February 2017

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450

2 years

US$ 600

35%

US$ 390

US DOLLARS

480

US DOLLARS

870

3 years

US$ 900

40%

US$ 540

US DOLLARS

720

US DOLLARS

1260

Saarc Countries

Rest of the world

Subscribe to our DSA magazine I would like to subscribe to DSA for I would like to gift a subscription of DSA for

1 Year

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State.........................................Pin code............................Tel.......................................................................Mob.................................................................

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• Minimum subscription is for one year ie 12 issues. Your subscription will start with the next available issue after the receipt of your payment. DSA issues will be dispatched through Postal / Courier Services, as advised by the subscriber.

• Please forward the completed subscription form with all the required details. DSA will not be responsible for any theft, loss or delay once the magazine has been dispatched. Please mention your subscription ID in all your future communications with us.

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For print edition login at: www.dsalert.org/dsa-subscription/print-edition March 2017 Defence AND security alert For online edition login at: www.dsalert.org/dsa-subscription/online-edition

55

FOOD AND BEVERAGE BUZZ

The First and Only ISO 9001:2008 Certified F&B Magazine in India Januarry 2017 Tenure

Cover Price

discounT

discounted priceS

India

Shipping charges

You Pay

Delhi / NCR

rest of india

Delhi / NCR

rest of india

` 400

` 700

` 1660

` 1960

1 year

` 1800

30%

` 1260

2 years

` 3600

35%

` 2340

` 800

` 1400

` 3140

` 3740

3 years

` 5400

40%

` 3240

` 1200

` 2100

` 4440

` 5340

1 year

US$ 240

30%

US$ 168

US DOLLARS

120

US DOLLARS

288

2 years

US$ 480

35%

US$ 312

US DOLLARS

240

US DOLLARS

552

3 years

US$ 720

40%

US$ 432

US DOLLARS

360

US DOLLARS

792

Saarc Countries

Rest of the world 1 year

US$ 300

30%

US$ 210

US DOLLARS

240

US DOLLARS

450

2 years

US$ 600

35%

US$ 390

US DOLLARS

480

US DOLLARS

870

3 years

US$ 900

40%

US$ 540

US DOLLARS

720

US DOLLARS

1260

February 2017

Subscribe to our FnB Buzz magazine I would like to subscribe to FnB Buzz for I would like to gift a subscription of FnB Buzz for

1 Year

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Name (Self )................................................................................................................................ Organisation ...................................................................

Billing Address................................................................................................................... City.......................................... Pin code ................................

Shipping Address.............................................................................................................. ......................................City.......................................................

State.........................................Pin code............................Tel.......................................................................Mob.................................................................

E mail id......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

DD / Cheque No...................................................................................................Dated.................................Drawn on.................................................. for ` ................................................................................................................................................... in favour of OCEAN MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED Payable at New Delhi. Please add ` 50 extra for all outstation cheques.

Terms and Conditions

• Minimum subscription is for one year ie 12 issues. Your subscription will start with the next available issue after the receipt of your payment. FnB Buzz issues will be dispatched through Postal / Courier Services, as advised by the subscriber.

• Please forward the completed subscription form with all the required details. FnB Buzz will not be responsible for any theft, loss or delay once the magazine has been dispatched. Please mention your subscription ID in all your future communications with us.

• Please inform our subscription department about non-receipt of your copy latest by 20th day of the month, failing which the request for re-dispatch will not be entertained.

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• The terms and conditions may change without any prior notice. This offer is for new subscribers, valid from 1 September 2016.

• This subscription form supersedes all the previous. Please address all your subscription related queries through E-mail: subscription@fnbbuzz.com or st

call us at: +91-11-23243999, 23287999.

Write to us at: Subscription department, Food and Beverage Buzz (FnB Buzz), Prabhat Prakashan Tower, 4/19 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi - 110002, INDIA.

56

March 2017 dsalert.org

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