Last month, five lady cadets, who completed their training in the prestigious Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, made history by getting inducted into the Army’s Regiment of Artillery. Though women have been commissioned as officers into supporting arms of the Army since 1992, this is the first time they are entering into the Artillery, a fighting arm.
In January this year, Army chief General Manoj Pande formally announced that the Army has decided to commission women officers into the artillery arm and that a proposal was sent to the Union government in this regard. Elaborating on the decision, General Pande said it was “significant” and that women in the Army have been performing “exceedingly well”.
Having been commissioned as officers into the Artillery, these young women are expected to join their respective units that handle Bofor, Dhanush and M-777 howitzers, K-9 Vajra self-propelled guns and others.
