Navy Mulling Proposal to Allow Women on Warships

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) Women officers may soon be aboard the Indian Navy's warships as it is working out a policy in this regard, a senior officer said Tuesday.

Commodore B.K. Munjal, who is in-charge of the navy's women contingent at Republic Day parade, said a proposal for allowing women on warships is being worked upon and a decision would come soon.

"The higher authorities in the navy are working on the proposal. We are looking forward to it and hopefully it should be sorted out soon," Commodore Munjal told reporters.

"The living conditions in ships are entirely different. We are now modifying ships and designing them as per the conditions required for women officers," the officer said.

Women were inducted in the Military Nursing Service in 1927 and in the medical officers cadre in 1943.

They were enabled to join the armed forces in 1992 on short service commissions.

In 2008, the government decided to grant permanent commission to short service commission women officers in those arms of the three services that do not entail direct combat or the possibility of physical contact with the enemy.

The Indian Air Force currently has the highest number of women officers at 1,350, followed by the army with 1,300 and navy with 350.