Around 1,35,891 lakh posts lying vacant in armed forces: Govt data

The government also said that no post is vacant for women in Indian Army. Sanctioned posts in Indian Navy and Indian Air Force are gender neutral.

New Delhi, Dec 09: Over 1,35,891 positions are lying vacant in the three services with the Army topping the list with around 1,18,485 vacancies, according to details provided by the government on Friday.

In the Indian Army, the number of vacant posts of officers is (118,485), followed by the navy (11,587) and the air force (5,819), minister of state for defence Ajay Bhatt said in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing winter session of the Parliament.

"40,000 vacancies have been advertised for JCOs/OR in the army, 3,000 for Agniveer in the navy, and 3,000 in the air force as Agniveervayu. The Agniveers will be paid a customised package of Rs30,000 per month, with fixed yearly increment, the minister informed the House in an official statement.

"Agniveers will not be required to contribute to any provident fund of the government. There shall be no entitlement to gratuity and any kind of pensionary benefits in the case of Agniveers. Risk and hardship allowances will be given based on the individual's place of posting," the statement added.

The government also said that no post is vacant for women in Indian Army. Sanctioned posts in Indian Navy and Indian Air Force are gender neutral.

Government has taken number of steps to increase women participation in the Defence sector. These include:

Army

Combat employment philosophy of women in the Armed Forces is a continuously evolving process and regularly reviewed by the Indian Army. At present, the women are being commissioned in Indian Army in ten Streams viz. Corps of Engineers, Corps of Signals, Army Air Defence, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, Corp of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Aviation Corps, Intelligence Corps, Judge Advocate General Branch and Army Education Corps in addition to the Armed Forces Medical Services as Doctors and Military Nurses which is a women only entry. New Avenues such as grant of permanent commission to SSC women officers, induction of women cadets in NDA, recruitment of Women as Provost JCOs/OR.

Navy

The induction of women as officers in the Indian Navy commenced in the year 1991. Since then the Indian Navy has gradually opened all branches to women officers including induction through NDA. Further, for the first time women are also being recruited for sailors' entries under the Agnipath Scheme w.e.f. 2022 and 20% vacancies are reserved for women.

Air Force

Officers recruitment in the IAF is gender neutral. Women officers are inducted in all the branches and streams of IAF. Opportunities for a career in IAF service are widely publicized through print/ electronic media and special publicity drives. An opening has also been provided through NCC Special Entry for flying SSC (Women) from July 2017 onwards. The experimental scheme to induct women officers in all combat roles, initiated by the IAF in 2015 has now been regularised into a permanent scheme. Such gender neutral approach is facilitating the employment of women officers of IAF in all combat roles without any restrictions.

No study has been undertaken regarding the low participation of women as there has been a steady growth in the induction of women in the armed forces.

This information was given by minister Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to N Reddeppa and others in Lok Sabha today.