Defence Minister AK Antony was on Thursday briefed by the Army on the role of women officers and increased opportunities including command roles for them in the force in the times to come.
The Army has, however, not agreed to have them in combat roles in the force due to the vagaries of the battle-field but sees a role for them in the combat-support arms such as the artillery and the army air defence.
The Defence Minister along with Defence Secretary RK Mathur and other senior officials of the Ministry were briefed in the Army Headquarters' operations directorate on the women's issue in presence of Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh and other senior officers, Army officials said at New Delhi.
During the presentation, the Army told the minister about the increased opportunities for women officers in Staff appointments as well as the prospects of inducting them in combat support arms, they said.
The force is also looking to increase vacancies for women officers in permanent commission. The women officers are granted permanent commission only in couple of arms including the Judge Advocate General branch.
The Army Chief has ruled out the possibility of having women in combat roles in the near future when he recently said, "I don't think we would be prepared at this point of time given the kind of infrastructure we have today to have ladies become part and parcel of infantry battalions.
"We have to do it in a systematic manner as there are vagaries of the battlefield and situations which have to be taken into account before we get them into the arena," he said.
Meanwhile, the armed forces have also requested the Defence Ministry to grant them the non-functional upgrade status which they believe will bring them to the level of their civilian counterparts.
In the past six months, the three services chiefs have conveyed their requests on the issue to the government.
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