The Adjutant General’s branch is responsible for welfare and discipline within the Army at all levels

NEW DELHI: The selection process of women candidates for the first-ever batch of women joining as soldiers in the Indian Army is completed and they will begin training from December at Corps of Military Police Centre (CMP) in Bangalore.

Lt Gen Ashwini Kumar said," Selection of 100 women candidates is completed and their training will start from December".

The infrastructure at the training centre is also ready to support the new trainees, said Lt Gen Kumar, The Adjutant General’s branch is responsible for welfare and discipline within the Army at all levels.

Keeping the significance of the training of selected women officers have been posted as instructors including Maj Julie who was the instructor to the first batch of women constables in Assam Rifles.

The training is likely to last for about two years and the first batch will pass out by the end of 2021.

Ten women Jawans, collectively termed as a Section in Army, will be posted with each provost unit which has also been identified and pre-informed. “We have already informed the 10 future CMP Units so that they prepare the infrastructure,” said Lt Gen Kumar.

The Indian Army is likely to induct total of 1700 women soldier into CMP with the induction of 100 soldiers every year subsequently till it reaches the required number. The adjustments to cater to those leaving or unable to complete the training will be made in batches joining in future.

The decision for inducting women soldiers was announced in January this year by the Ministry of Defence with an aim to enhance their representation in the three services.

The roles of Military Police includes policing cantonments and Army establishments, maintaining discipline, preventing the breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police.

The Women will eventually comprise 20 per cent of the total Corps of Military Police and their role would range from probing crime cases to assisting the Army in field operations wherever required.

Currently, women are allowed to join as officers in medical, legal, education, signals and engineering wings of the Army.

The Indian Air Force pioneered to induct three women fighter pilots in 2016. The number of women fighter pilots has risen to eight. IAF has 13 per cent women representation, Navy has six per cent and Army has four per cent women in its ranks.