Plea For Higher Women Intake In NDA : Defence Ministry Seeks 3 Months Time To Respond

The Ministry of Defence has sought three months additional time from Supreme Court to submit its response regarding higher intake of women candidates in National Defence Academy, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Rashtriya Military Schools and Sainik Schools for 2022 admissions.

The Ministry has stated that induction of women cadets in NDA has been a major policy decision and therefore sufficient time is needed for deliberating implications in the long term for induction and deployment of ex-NDA women cadets in the Indian Armed Forces.

The Ministry has therefore, submitted that the respondents require at least three months additional time towards this.

An affidavit has been filed by the Ministry after a bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kaul and MM Sundresh had issued notice to the Union on an application that pointed out that even for the NDA I - 2022 examination, the intake of women candidates has been limited to 19 for the army, navy and airforce.

The applicant before the Apex Court contended that though the Union had undertaken before the Court to put in place the infrastructural requirements for women candidates by May 2022, it has limited the number of intake to 19 candidates.

The Ministry has however complied with a portion of the Court's order whereby it was asked to to place on record certain details including the figures qua the NDA, RIMC and RMS in respect of the last examination. 

1002 Women Candidates Passed NDA Written Exam:

The affidavit has submitted that a total of 3,57,197 candidates took the NDA examination, a total of 8009 candidates, including 1002 women candidates, passed the NDA written examination held during Nov' 2021.

In respect of number of women to be inducted for NDA- Il 2021 and NDA-| 2022, the affidavit has submitted that each course at NDA has 370 vacancies for the three services. Out of these, 208 cadets get commissioned in the Indian Army, 120 cadets get commissioned in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and 42 cadets get commissioned in the Indian Navy (IN).

Intake Of Women In Indian Army:

The total vacancies planned for Indian Army through NDA is 416 per year (208 per course).

Women officers are not inducted in combat services. The present intake comprises 57% vacancies in Combat Arms. That means, the remaining 43% vacancies are open for women induction.

In the Indian army, the present intake comprises of 57% vacancies in Combat Arms, leaving 43% of vacancies i.e. 89 for eight arms and services (less AC and JAG from mandated 10 arms and services), where women officers are being inducted.

Further, the Indian Army has made a considered opinion to commence intake of 10 women per NDA course i.e. 11% of the earmarked vacancies.

Women Officers In Indian Defence Forces Presently Constitute 13.6% Of Officers' Cadre:

The affidavit has informed the Court that presently in the Indian Defence Forces, women officers (including AMC and MNS, an auxiliary force) constitute 13.6% of the officers' cadre.

With Present Allotment Of 10 Women Candidates Per Course In NDA, Women Cadre Will Witness Growth Of 5%:

It has been submitted that the proportional strength of women cadets in NDA is more than the existing proportional strength of women officers in the Indian Army. Apart from NDA, upto 80 women are being inducted per year through other entries and are eligible for permanent commission.

It has been further submitted that the average intake in the last four years of women officers in the eight arms and services has been upto 15% of the total cadre strength. With the present allotment of 10 women candidates per course in NDA, i.e 20 per year, the women cadre in these arms will witness a growth of 5% i.e. from the existing 15% to 20%.

Indian Navy Has Decided To Induct Women Into 3 Cadres Through NDA:

The affidavit has stated that as per interim directions of the Supreme Court, the Indian Navy was required to induct women as PC officers only in those Cadres, Branches or Specialisations which are already open to women.

However, all cadets inducted through UPS examination post 10+2 into NDA are trained, towards Executive (General Service) which is not open for induction of women officers. In fact, Navy does not have any direct induction of men and women through NDA(UPSC) entry post 10+2 for the Branches/ Cadres/ Specialisations which are open for induction of women.

The Ministry has submitted that notwithstanding this, given the intent of the interim directions from the top Court, the Navy has decided to induct women into three Branches/ Cadres through NDA.

"There are total of four Branches and four Cadres in the Navy which are further sub-divided into 23 sub- specialisations. Women Officers are presently employed in following twelve Branches/ Cadres/ Specialisations" the affidavit states. 

AFCAT, Met and NCC Entries Available As Modes Of Entry Into Indian Air Force For Women:

The affidavit has stated that apart from NDA, AFCAT, Met and NCC Entries as modes of entry into IAF, are available for women as well.

Women are commissioned in the Flying, Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics), Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical), Education, Administration, Logistics, Accounts and Meteorology branches of the AF.

Further, women are regularly inducted through these modes of entries for e.g. in 2021 a total of 115 women candidates were inducted for training into the officers' cadre.

IAF Is Inducting Women In All Branches & They're Being Trained For All Combat Roles:

The affidavit has stated that the Indian Air Force is inducting women in all its branches and sub-streams of these branches and they are cleared and being trained for all combat roles associated with these branches.

Further, it has stated that the Government of India has issued clear guidelines in 2011 that induction schemes of women officers needs to be undertaken such that the combat effectiveness, fighting efficiency and functionality is not affected.

Keeping these guidelines upper-most, the IAF formed two study groups, one in 2013 and the second in 2021 to evaluate the employment and induction of women in the lAF.

12 PC Women Officers Will Be Inducted Per Year, 60 PC women officers Will Be Inducted in IAF Over Next Five Years:

According to the Defence Ministry, the distribution per course of 2 for Flying, 2 for Tech and 2 for Non Tech gives equal representation to all the branches and has been worked out to maintain Combat effectiveness, fighting efficiency and functionality of the IAF.

With this proposed induction, 12 PC women officers will be inducted per year and will result in 60 PC women officers being inducted in the lAF over the next five years. These numbers, are rationalised numbers to ensure that the induction of women through this additional entry is in a graded fashion and südden increasel decrease is avoided.

Women At Indian Naval Academy, 20-25 Women Inducted Every Six Months:

The affidavit has stated that women are already being trained at INA, and no male candidates are directly inducted through NDA into Branches/ Cadres which are open to women.

It's been submitted that since INA already trains women at-par with male cadets for commissioning into the Branches/ Cadres which are open for their induction, therefore, induction of women into INA through UPSC 10+2 exam is not felt necessary.

That on an average, 20 to 25 women are already being inducted through INA every six months for all the Branches/ Cadres/ Branches which are open for  their induction. Therefore, inducting women through UPSC entry post 10+2 which is meant for training effort only for Executive (General Service) is not required.

Background: It was in August last year that the Court passed an interim order permitting women to appear in the entrance tests for NDA. "Why is co-education a problem?", the bench had then asked the Union Government.