Top Army general highlights 'problems' with women officers
Lieutenant General Rajeev Puri, who recently finished his tenure as the commander of the 17 "Brahmastra" Mountain Strike Corps, has flagged the performance of women commanding officers (COs). In a letter to Eastern Command chief Lieutenant General RC Tiwari, he mentioned a "lack of empathy" and "over-centralized" decision-making among some women COs. He also stressed on a comprehensive gender-neutral policy and pragmatic performance analysis.
Puri cites 'in-house review' of women COs
Puri's concerns stemmed from an "in-house review" of eight women COs in his corps. The review revealed that some officers displayed poor interpersonal relations and an "exaggerated tendency to complain" to senior commanders. He observed that these officers often perceived professional disagreements as insubordination. The letter also cited instances of women COs over-centralizing decision-making and adopting a "my way or highway" approach.
Puri attributes issues to lack of command training
Puri attributed some of these issues to the lack of command training and operational experience among women officers. He noted that unlike their male counterparts, women COs weren't trained for command roles through courses like 'junior command' and staff college. The Supreme Court enforcing permanent commission and command roles for women in 2023 resulted in the empanelment of 108 women officers for command assignments.
Puri addresses HR handling by women cos
Puri's letter also spoke about how some women COs deal with HR issues more firmly than their male counterparts. This could be because they don't want to be seen as soft-hearted, he suggested. He advised focusing on "gender neutral" instead of "gender equality" policies. Puri admitted to receiving regular complaints from women COs about their authority being disregarded but termed them "mundane."
Puri notes 'regular complaints' from women COs
He observed a new trend of COs complaining over minor provocations, which he said was rare among male counterparts. The letter ended with worries about the absence of effective communication and consultative approaches among some women COs. Puri blamed their behavior partly on their need to prove themselves in traditionally male-dominated fields.
How women COs responded
The Hindustan Times reported a woman officer describing the letter as "bitterly disappointing and smacking of blatant sexism." Further, women officers found the corps commander's letter disturbing as it has called into question their work ethic, the woman officer cited above, asking not to be named, the report said. Lt Gen Puri's remarks may potentially kick up a hornet's nest at a time when the Indian Army is strategically trying to outmaneuver China's PLA.
