Lieutenant General Rajeev Puri, who recently completed his tenure as commander of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps, highlighted these issues in a letter to General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Lt General Ram Chander Tiwari, based on his critical internal review.
NEW DELHI: Today (26th Nov): Nearly two years after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling allowed the Army to promote 108 women officers to the rank of Colonel, a senior general has raised concerns about “mundane ego issues” and “lack of empathy” in his review of eight Colonel-ranked women officers under his command.
Lieutenant General Rajeev Puri, who recently completed his tenure as commander of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps, highlighted these issues in a letter to General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Lt General Ram Chander Tiwari, based on his critical internal review.
Despite the general’s concerns, defence sources reassured media that the Army remains committed to the induction of women officers, with the senior officer’s recommendations aimed at improving training standards.
Lt General Puri pointed out “serious issues regarding interpersonal relations” and a “lack of tact and understanding” among the women officers. He also noted an “exaggerated tendency to complain” and “ego issues spiraling out of control.”
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Women officers now command various units, including air defense, signals, ordnance, intelligence, engineers, and service corps. According to Lt General Puri, some women officers have adopted a “my way or the highway” approach to decision-making and are “not trained to be commanders.”
The report mentions an increase in officer management issues within units commanded by women officers, highlighting the lack of tact and understanding of their subordinates’ needs. Instead of resolving conflicts through mutual respect, the approach has often involved using force. The review also found a “prejudice and mistrust” in some instances, leading to high levels of stress in the units.
Lt General Puri criticized the officers for making derogatory statements about junior officers to take credit and noted a “misplaced sense of entitlement” in some women officers, who often seek immediate recognition for minor achievements.
BRIEF FACTS
In 2020, the Supreme Court cleared the way for women in the Army to hold permanent commissions and take on command roles. Following this, a special selection board promoted 108 women officers to the rank of Colonel. Lt General Puri, in his letter, emphasized the need for “gender neutrality” rather than “gender equality” to address the concerns raised about these Colonel-rank women officers.
He pointed out that many had not been exposed to operational roles, leading to a lack of understanding of the hardships faced by troops, and thus a lack of compassion for them.
Explaining the factors behind the approach of some women officers, Lt General Puri suggested that the desire to prove themselves in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field could drive over-ambitious behavior. He speculated that, to avoid being seen as soft-hearted, women commanding officers may handle HR issues more harshly than their male counterparts.
Defense sources responded that this is the first batch of women officers in command roles, and training is an ongoing process. They added that leadership positions should be earned through years of experience in junior leadership roles, with the goal of better integrating women into the force. The suggestions provided were intended to improve training standards within the Army.
