Induction of women in combat roles in the Armed Forces, review and assessment of personnel training, and grievance redressal mechanism in defence services are some of the key matters to be taken up by the parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence for examination in 2025-26.
The panel headed by BJP’s Lok Sabha member Radha Mohan Singh will also take up a review of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in creating infrastructure in strategic locations and border areas, a review of self-reliance and modernisation of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and status of various projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The panel has selected 18 subjects spanning personnel, policy and operational matters for examination, mainly the critical areas in which the Indian military and the Ministry of Defence have been working on over the last few years.
Women are not allowed to join core combat arms of the Army such as Infantry, Armoured Corps and Mechanised Infantry as on today. Some of the combat support arms, such as Corps of Engineers, the Regiment of Artillery and Corps of Signals and all services, have women officers. However, only the Corps of Military Police inducts women as soldiers.
