Correct Answer :   Ajay Bhatt

The decision to induct women officers in the Artillery was taken on March 20, Minister of State for Defence, "Ajay Bhatt" informed the Lok Sabha on March 31, 2023.

* He was replying to a question by BJP MP from Vadodara, Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt, who had asked whether the government proposes to include women in the Artillery units and if so, the steps taken in this regard so far.

* Government has approved the induction of women in the Regiment of Artillery on March 20, 2023, the minister said in his one line reply.

* General Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff, in January had announced that a proposal to induct woman officers in the Regiment of Artillery had been sent to the government. The General had said at the time that gender empowerment in the Army is a focus area and that women are expected to do very well in the Artillery.

* The exact number of woman officers who will be inducted into Artillery will only be known at the time of the commission of the next batch from Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai later this year.

* Artillery is a combat support arm of the Army and is the largest in size after the Infantry. The Artillery Regiments comprise various calibres of guns, surface to surface missiles, tracked guns, mortars and unmanned aerial platforms.

* On March 1, Centre also approved the induction of woman officers in Remount and Veterinary Corps. Out of 20 officers indicted into RVC in 2023, four are women, informed Ajay Bhatt in Parliament.

* First batch of woman cadets has started training in NDA with effect from July 2022 and second batch from January 2023...

Source : Indian Express