“Ego Issues”: Top Army Officer’s Controversial Review Of Women Colonels

New Delhi:

Practically two years after the Military promoted 108 lady officers to the rank of Colonel after Supreme Court docket’s landmark judgment, a prime common has listed “mundane ego points” and “lack of empathy” amongst what he calls “severe issues” in his assessment of eight Colonel-rank ladies officers below his command.

Lieutenant Basic Rajeev Puri, who accomplished his tenure as commander of 17 Mountain Strike Corps on November 20, has written to Basic Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Japanese Command, Lt Basic Ram Chander Tiwari, itemizing findings of a vastly essential “in-house assessment”.

Defence sources, nevertheless, have informed NDTV that the Military is dedicated to the induction of ladies officers and that the senior officer’s strategies are supposed to enhance coaching requirements.

Lt Basic Puri has pointed to “severe issues relating to interpersonal relations” and a “lack of tact and understanding” among the many Colonel-rank ladies officers. The report additionally famous an “exaggerated tendency to grievance” and “mundane ego points which spiral uncontrolled”.

Lady officers now command models reminiscent of air defence, alerts, ordnance, intelligence, engineers and repair corps.

Lt Basic Puri has mentioned that the Colonel-rank ladies officers have a “my means or freeway form of method to determination making” and are “not skilled to be commanders”.

“Over the past one 12 months, there was a rise within the variety of officer administration points in models commanded by ladies officers. These are indicative of significant issues relating to interpersonal relations. Most instances pertain to lack of tact and understanding of the non-public necessities of unit personnel, particularly officers. The emphasis is extra on battle termination by may, moderately than battle decision by mutual respect. A prejudice and distrust was evident in few of the instances within the latest previous,” the senior officer wrote within the letter dated October 1.

This, he mentioned, was resulting in “excessive ranges of stress within the models. Lt Basic Puri additionally highlighted “an uncontrollable urge to make derogatory statements relating to junior officers to usurp credit score moderately than attributing it to subordinates and inspiring them is routine”. He additionally famous a “severe misplaced sense of entitlement” in some ladies officers and mentioned they sought “quick gratification for minor achievements”.

A Supreme Court docket in 2020 cleared everlasting fee for girls within the Military and paved the way in which for them taking on command roles. In February final 12 months, a particular choice board was put collectively to advertise 108 ladies officers to the rank of select-grade colonel.

In his letter, Lt Basic Puri has referred to as for a deal with “gender neutrality” as a substitute of “gender equality” to handle the issues he has raised in regards to the Colonel-rank lady officers. The senior officer famous that the postings of those ladies Colonels didn’t expose them to command roles. The girl officers haven’t been uncovered to operational duties and this has led to a “lack of know-how of hardships and resultant lack of compassion for the troops concerned in these duties”.

Explaining the elements that contribute to this method, Lt Basic Puri has written, “The need to show oneself in a discipline which was presupposed to be a male bastion is probably going a driver behind the over-ambitiousness in some ladies COs… With a purpose to be perceived as sturdy people and keep away from being judged as soft-hearted, ladies COs deal with HR points with a firmer hand than their male counterparts.”

NDTV reached out to defence sources relating to the senior officer’s assessment that’s more likely to fireplace up an enormous debate. The sources mentioned this was the primary batch of ladies officers in command roles within the Military. “The coaching of ladies officers is an ongoing course of and management roles must be primarily based upon years of expertise in junior management roles to organize officers for command. The strategies made have been meant to enhance the coaching requirements throughout the Military as a way to additional combine ladies into the pressure,” a supply mentioned.