Significant reforms have been implemented in the Indian Army in recent years to promote women’s participation, marking a positive step towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in the military. These reforms include opening up combat roles, which were previously reserved for men, to women, among other changes.
In 2016, the Indian Army announced that women would be allowed to serve in combat roles, including infantry, artillery, and armored corps. This decision expanded opportunities for women to actively participate in frontline operations. In 2019, the Corps of Military Police Centre and School in Bengaluru trained the first batch of 100 female soldiers, marking the induction of women into the Indian Army’s military police.
In 2020, the Indian Army further expanded opportunities for women by announcing that they would be allowed to serve as Permanent Commission officers in all ten branches of the army. This decision ensures that female officers have the same opportunities for advancement and promotion as their male counterparts, promoting gender equality in the military.
In addition to combat and officer positions, the Indian Army has also created opportunities for women in signal, engineering, and medical corps, among others. Recently, Captain Deeksha C Mudadevannanavar made headlines as she serves as a Doctor in the PARA Special Forces, and there have been reports that the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy will also start inducting women into their Special Forces units. These developments highlight the ongoing reforms and efforts by the Indian Army to promote gender equality and inclusivity within the organization.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that despite the significant reforms and progress made in recent years, there are still certain barriers that prevent women from reaching the highest leadership positions in the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy. One notable example is the absence of a woman Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, or Chief of Naval Staff. In this article, we will explore some possible reasons for this disparity, keeping in mind that the views and points discussed are personal and based on individual thought processes.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is a crucial leadership position in the Indian Army, held by a four-star general. The COAS serves as the professional head of the ground forces and acts as a key advisor to the Minister of Defence. This position is exclusively held by officers from the Indian Army and is the highest-ranking military officer in the army. The COAS also serves as a member of the National Security Council and provides advice to the President and Prime Minister on matters related to national security. Here is a list of the past and current Chiefs of Army Staff in the Indian Army:
| S.No. | Name | Rank | Tenure | Unit of Commission |
| 1 | General Sir Robert Lockhart | Commander-in-Chief | 15 Aug 1947 to 31st Dec 1947 | 51 Sikhs Frontier Force |
| 2 | General Francis Robert Roy Bucher | Commander-in-Chief | 21 June 1948 – 15 January 1949 | Scottish Rifles |
| 3 | Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa | Commander-in-Chief | 16 January 1949 – 14 January 1953 | Rajput Rifles |
| 4 | General Maharaj Rajendrasinhji Jadeja | Commander-in-Chief | 15 January 1953 – 1 April 1955 | 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) |
| 5 | General Maharaj Rajendrasinhji Jadeja | Chief of Army Staff | 1 April 1955 – 14 May 1955 | 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) |
| 6 | General Satyawant Mallana Sringesh | Chief of Army Staff | 15 May 1955 – 7 May 1957 | 19th Hyderabad Regiment |
| 7 | General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya | Chief of Army Staff | 8 May 1957 – 7 May 1961 | 19th Hyderabad Regiment |
| 8 | General Pran Nath Thapar | Chief of Army Staff | 8 May 1961 – 19 November 1962 | 1st Punjab Regiment |
| 9 | General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri | Chief of Army Staff | 20 November 1962 – 7 June 1966 | 7th Light Cavalry |
| 10 | General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam | Chief of Army Staff | 8 June 1966 – 7 June 1969 | Regiment of Artillery |
| 11 | Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw | Chief of Army Staff | 8 June 1969 – 15 January 1973 | 12th Frontier Force Regiment |
| 12 | General Gopal Gurunath Bewoor | Chief of Army Staff | 16 January 1973 – 31 May 1975 | Dogra Regiment |
| 13 | General Tapishwar Narain Raina | Chief of Army Staff | 1 June 1975 – 31 May 1978 | Kumaon Regiment |
| 14 | General Om Prakash Malhotra | Chief of Army Staff | 1 June 1978 – 31 May 1981 | Regiment of Artillery |
| 15 | General Kotikalapudi Venkata Krishna Rao | Chief of Army Staff | 1 June 1981 – 31 July 1983 | Mahar Regiment |
| 16 | General Arun Kumar Shridhar Vaidya | Chief of Army Staff | 1 August 1983 – 31 January 1986 | 9th Deccan Horse |
| 17 | General Krishnaswamy Sundarji | Chief of Army Staff | 1 February 1986 – 31 May 1988 | Mahar Regiment |
| 18 | General Ashwa Nath Sharma | Chief of Army Staff | 1 June 1988 – 30 June 1990 | 16th Light Cavalry |
| 19 | General Sunith Francis Rodrigues | Chief of Army Staff | 1 July 1990 – 30 June 1993 | Regiment of Artillery |
| 20 | General Bipin Chandra Joshi | Chief of Army Staff | 1 July 1993 – 19 November 1994 | 64th Cavalry |
| 21 | General Shankar Roy Chowdhary | Chief of Army Staff | 20 November 1994 – 30 September 1997 | 20th Lancers |
| 22 | General Ved Prakash Malik | Chief of Army Staff | 1 October 1997 – 30 September 2000 | Sikh Light Infantry |
| 23 | General Sundarajan Padmanabhan | Chief of Army Staff | 1 October 2000 – 31 December 2002 | Regiment of Artillery |
| 24 | General Nirmal Chander Vij | Chief of Army Staff | 1 January 2003 – 31 January 2005 | Dogra Regiment |
| 25 | General Joginder Jaswant Singh | Chief of Army Staff | 1 February 2005 – 30 September 2007 | Maratha Light Infantry |
| 26 | General Deepak Kapoor | Chief of Army Staff | 1 October 2007 – 31 March 2010 | Regiment of Artillery |
| 27 | General Vijay Kumar Singh | Chief of Army Staff | 1 April 2010 – 31 May 2012 | Rajput Regiment |
| 28 | General Bikram Singh | Chief of Army Staff | 1 June 2012 – 31 July 2014 | Sikh Light Infantry |
| 29 | General Dalbir Singh Suhag | Chief of Army Staff | 1 August 2014 – 31 December 2016 | 5 Gorkha Rifles |
| 30 | General Bipin Rawat | Chief of Army Staff | 31 December 2016 – 31 December 2019 | 11 Gorkha Rifles |
| 31 | General Manoj Mukund Naravane | Chief of Army Staff | 31 December 2019 – 30 April 2022 | 7 Sikh Light Infantry |
| 32 | General Manoj Pande | Chief of Army Staff | 30 April 2022 – Present | Corps of Engineers |
As of now, there have been no female Chiefs of Army Staff in the Indian Army. This can be attributed to the relatively recent induction of women officers into combat arms and broader military leadership positions.
Women officers have been serving in the Indian Army for a maximum of 26 years. However, until 2016, women were not inducted into combat roles such as the armored corps and infantry. It was only in 2016 that the Army announced its decision to induct women into combat roles. Subsequently, in 2020, the Supreme Court ordered that women officers in the Army be given permanent commissions, allowing them to have equal opportunities for career advancement. Another significant milestone was reached in 2021, when it was decided that girls would be admitted to the National Defence Academy (NDA), and currently, 19 girl cadets are undergoing training at the academy. These recent developments indicate progress towards gender equality in the Indian Army, but it may take time for women to reach the highest leadership positions, such as the Chief of Army Staff, due to the years of service and experience required for assuming that role.
If we make a conjecture, it is evident that girls who pass out from the National Defence Academy (NDA) may potentially rise to become top generals in the Indian Army by the time they reach the age of 38, 39, or even 40. In the past, due to restrictions, women officers were not appointed as infantry brigade commanders or divisional commanders, as they lacked the essential experience of growing up in a combat unit. However, there have been recent developments that challenge this notion. For instance, Colonel Geeta Rana, a woman officer from the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), recently assumed command of an independent unit in the sensitive Ladakh sector, which indicates that women are increasingly being entrusted with higher leadership roles in the military, regardless of their branch of service.
Reforms are necessary in any organization to enhance its efficiency and diversity. The Indian Armed Forces, being one of the most esteemed organizations in the world, is implementing reforms that aim to promote gender equality. In the near future, we may witness women serving as Special Forces operators, Core Commanders, Station Commanders, Commanders, and even Chief of Army Staff. However, it will ultimately depend on an individual’s capabilities and aspirations to excel in their chosen path. Serving in the Army is a matter of immense pride, regardless of the rank one holds.
