Women in the Indian Armed Forces — Every Entry Now Open, and What the Numbers Say
In a decade, the women's entry map has gone from a handful of short-service branches to almost every route a man can take.
The milestones
- 2015 — women fighter pilots inducted in the IAF; over 20 now fly Su-30, MiG-29 and Rafale.
- February 2020 — Supreme Court orders permanent commission for women SSC officers in the Army; Navy follows in March 2020.
- August 2021 — Supreme Court opens the NDA to women; the first batch of 19 female cadets joins in 2022, and the first women cadets passed out in 2025.
- 2022 — Sainik Schools and RIMC admit girls; Agniveer intakes include women in the Navy from the first batch and in the Army's Military Police.
- 2023 — women officers posted to artillery regiments; the first woman commands a frontline Army unit.
- 2024 — women admitted to the Army's 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme discussions and the Coast Guard's all-women crew sails.
Current strength (approximate)
| Service | Women officers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Army | ~1,700 (excluding medical) | Plus ~100 in Corps of Military Police as other ranks |
| Navy | ~700 | All branches open incl. sea-going and submarine screening |
| Air Force | ~1,600 | Including fighter, transport and helicopter pilots |
| Coast Guard | ~100 | Women AC intake every cycle |
| CAPFs | ~40,000+ | CRPF and CISF lead; 33% reservation in constables in some forces |
Entries open to women today
NDA, CDS (OTA, and IMA/INA/AFA via NDA route), AFCAT (all branches), SSC Tech, NCC Special Entry, JAG, Navy SSC (all branches), Coast Guard AC and Navik, Agniveer Navy SSR/MR, Agniveervayu, Agniveer Military Police, CAPF AC, SSC GD, Territorial Army.
What is still closed
The Army's infantry, armoured and mechanised infantry other-ranks streams remain men-only, and Agniveer GD for the Army is not yet open to women. These are policy decisions under review rather than legal bars.
Use the eligibility checker — it filters by gender — or request a free counselling call.
Tags: Women, NDA, Agniveer, Permanent Commission, Sainik Schools. Spotted an error? Request a correction.