From 2024 to 2025, the Indian Army may embark on a gender-neutral selection process for promotions to Colonel to end gender discrepancies in the nation's military, the Hindustan Times daily reported on Monday.
One of the officers, who requested anonymity, told the publication that a common gender-neutral selection board would be used for all officers starting with the 2009 batch to move up from the rank of lieutenant colonel to colonel.
The development came after 108 female officers in January, from the 1992-2006 batch, got promoted to colonel through a special selection board.
Reportedly, women have assumed leadership roles in various army units throughout the country in various branches, including the Corps of Engineers, the Signals Corps, the Army Air Defence Corps, the Intelligence Corps, the Army Service Corps, the Army Ordnance Corps, and Electronics and Mechanical Engineers.
Following this, the army started considering the 2009 batch of women officers for promotion.
“With the common selection board in place from 2024-25, men and women officers will compete on merit for the same vacancies,” the publication quoted another officer.