The army, air force and navy began inducting women as short-service commission (SSC) officers in 1992. This was the first time women were allowed to join the military outside the medical stream. Initially, they could serve for five years, and their service could be extended by another five years. In 2006, a policy revision allowed them to serve for a maximum of 14 years as SSC officers. Unlike male officers, women can join only through SSC; they are not given ab initio permanent commission in any of the armed forces.
There are more than 3,500 women in the military, but front-line combat roles were off limits to them until the Modi government approved an Indian Air Force (IAF) plan in 2015 to induct them into the fighter stream. Warships, tanks and combat positions in the infantry are still no-go zones for women. Navy has women as pilots and observers on-board its maritime reconnaissance aircraft, which is a combat role.
In September 2008, the defense ministry decided to grant permanent commission (PC) to eligible SSC women officers in branches such as the Judge Advocate General and Army Education Corps. Until then, women in the armed forces were offered PC only in the medical wing.