The defence ministry said in a statement on Sunday that Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister, has approved an initiative that will grant female soldiers, sailors, and air warriors the same maternity, childcare, and child adoption leaves as female officers in the three services.
“With the issuing of the rules, the grant of such leaves to all women in the military, whether one is an officer or any other rank, will be equally applicable,” it mentioned.
This occurs alongside the armed forces' launch of the Agnipath recruitment programme, which allows women to join the PBOR cadre for the first time.
According to the statement, the goal is consistent with the minister's vision of inclusive participation of all women, regardless of rank, in the Armed Forces. “The extension of leave rules will go a long way in dealing with women-specific family and social issues relevant to the armed forces. This measure will improve the work conditions of women in the military and aid them to balance the spheres of professional and family life in a better manner.”
The Air Force and the Army are also planning to recruit women under the Agnipath system, in addition to the Navy, which has begun to recruit.
The government's announcement of the new programme last year resulted in the end of the military's decades-old recruitment system, which the Agnipath model replaced. With the option to keep 25% of recruits on regular service for 15 years following the new screening, the programme aims to enlist soldiers for a four-year term. 'Agniveers', is the term for those recruited under this model.
The statement continued that the armed services will be strengthened by the recruitment of women Agniveers, providing them with the bravery, dedication, and patriotism of female soldiers, sailors, and air warriors to protect the nation's land, sea, and air borders.
“From being operationally deployed in Siachen, the highest battlefield in the world to being posted on warships as well as dominating the skies, Indian women are now breaking barriers in almost every field in the armed forces. In 2019, a significant milestone was also achieved through recruitment of women in the Indian Army as soldiers in the Corps of Military Police.”
(Photo: The Tribune/Representative Image)
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