20 April,2011 06:33 AM IST | | Parth Satam
Woman are increasingly showing an interest in a field that has traditionally been considered a man's job -- the military. Army officers from the recruiting department have observed a steady rise in requests to join the army from women, from students of law to those doing engineering.
The rising trend has been observed in the wake of several promotional drives in educational institutes conducted by the department. Many of the women who have shown an interest stand a good chance of making it to the Indian Army's Law Branch, which handles various legal affairs within the organisation.
Over the past two months, officers visited prominent institutes like Fergusson College, Bishop's School in Camp, Genesis College of Commerce in Hadapsar and engineering colleges of the Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School. Officials said more than 300 students were present during each seminar, of which 30 per cent were female.
"We had approximately 15 to 20 girls approaching us for job enquiries in the army. We guided them about recruitments in various departments like law and education, where they could serve," Colonel Bharat Dabral (Director-Recruiting) said.
The programmes include a presentation and talk by an army officer, followed by a question-and-answer session. As the armed forces are looking for fresh talent, the recruitment department has been regularly conducting these drives besides putting up posters, distributing pamphlets and brochures.
Dabral said that the Headquarters Recruiting Zone in the Southern Command receives 10 to 15 calls everyday making job enquiries, and a sizeable percentage of the callers are well-educated young women.
"We direct these girls to other lady officers of various departments for counseling," added Dabral.u00a0
Women in the army are only recruited in the officer cadre and are trained at the prestigious Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, where they undergo a gruelling nine-month training course. The OTA is for candidates who have opted for the Short Service Commission, which is of 10 years and can be extended to four more years if the officer chooses.
Women can join the medical or dental corps by joining the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), which only offers permanent commission. The Army Education Branch and the Judge Advocate General Branch are other departments where women can serve.
