Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday said the army has ordered a court of inquiry into how an internal communication by a three-star officer on the performance of eight women officers — it talked about several issues ostensibly plaguing units commanded by women in the eastern sector — was leaked, adding that several exceptions were made in appointing women as commanding officers (COs) following a Supreme Court order.
Dwivedi clarified that women officers were doing exceedingly well in the force and were “mature, considerate and kind”.
His comments came in response to a question on a corps commander shooting off a letter to the eastern army commander complaining about women COs on aspects ranging from officer management to a purportedly misplaced sense of entitlement, from a lack of empathy to an exaggerated tendency to complain, and from over-ambition to a lack of ambition.
The unprecedented five-page letter on “command by women officers” — written last October by then 17 Corps commander Lieutenant General Rajeev Puri to Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari — cited an “in-house review” by the Panagarh-based mountain strike corps.
“General Puri’s letter shouldn’t have got leaked and a court of inquiry has been ordered into it. It’s his perception, he is within his rights to give that perception and comment. It’s an internal communication,” the army chief said at his annual media briefing ahead of Army Day on January 15.
The army broke the glass ceiling following a Supreme Court order in 2023 by assigning women officers to command roles outside the medical stream for the first time. Scores of women are now heading units in operational areas, including forward locations in the Northern and Eastern Commands that are responsible for guarding India’s borders with China.
Dwivedi touched upon the situation that prevailed when the army appointed women as COs.
“This was based on the Supreme Court order, and the complete process was accelerated. When we appoint COs, we give them exposure in various fields. We make them undergo various courses. For these women COs, the Junior Command course was not done, and a short course was done. The contact and bonding with troops was less,” the army chief said.
“ A lot of exceptions were made (in appointing them COs). When you have these situations, you may have a surprise.”
To be sure, the number of women commanding officers in the army is steadily increasing.
“Overall if you see, we have 115 women COs, and 18 more are approved and ready to take on the role. You will find maximum women COs in the Northern Command where I have had firsthand experience of dealing with them. You will always find all kinds of officers, but wherever I have seen… women officers have been very mature, very considerate and very kind,” Dwivedi said.
He cited the example of a woman CO, Colonel Ponung Doming, who is likely to be decorated with an award for her service. Her unit is constructing a high-altitude road in Ladakh’s Demchok sector to provide connectivity to one of the military’s farthest outposts, Fukche, which is just three km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Her unit also spearheaded a key project to upgrade the Nyoma advanced landing ground near the LAC in eastern Ladakh to a full-fledged base for fighter operations.
“When I was in the Northern Command, she was always there at the forefront…What I am saying is you will find all kinds of examples,” he said.
The opening of command roles to women became possible only after the army began granting them permanent commission in 2020 — also after a Supreme Court order.
In February 2023, the army conducted a special selection board to promote 108 women officers to the rank of select-grade colonel — a move aimed at bringing about gender parity — offering them command assignments in select branches, and giving them new hard-earned identities.
“Today I just wish to assure you that women officers are doing exceedingly well and if I have to give you some yardstick, there are currently 16 officers who are attending the Defence Services Staff College, they are serving as pilots in the aviation branch and also serving in the artillery.”
“As far as the Indian Army is concerned, we want strong women officers… There must be a gender-neutral approach…The physical test parameters should nearly be the same but keeping in view the physical conditions there may be some exceptions…Around 1,700 girls are presently attending Sainik Schools, Military Schools and Rashtriya Indian Military College. They will be coming to the Indian Army, the tri-services. It is something which is to happen, and it will happen in the most mature and welcoming way,” Dwivedi added.
In his letter dated October 1, 2024, General Puri wrote: “During the last one year, there has been an increase in the number of officer management issues in units commanded by women officers. These are indicative of serious concerns regarding interpersonal relations. Most cases pertain to a lack of tact and understanding of the personal requirements of unit personnel, especially officers. The emphasis is more on conflict termination through might, rather than conflict resolution through mutual respect. A prejudice and mistrust was evident in few of the cases in the recent past.”
He added: “It results in high levels of stress in the units…This approach also leads to an overexploitation of troops and unit resources to remain in the show window… An uncontrollable urge to make derogatory statements regarding junior officers to usurp credit rather than attributing it to subordinates and encouraging them is routine. While overambition is detrimental to the organisation, on the other end of the spectrum, few COs have taken ‘low profile, low initiative’ to command.”