In a first, two women officers would be onboard Navy warships as specialists

New Delhi: Sub Lieutenant Kumudini Tyagi and Sub Lieutenant Riti Singh will be the first women officers to join the Indian Navy warships. They have been selected to join as 'Observers' (Airborne Tacticians) in the Indian Navy's helicopter stream. They are the first women combatants who will operate as specialists onboard Navy helicopters which operate from the deck of warships.

According to a Defence Statement, both Tyagi and Sigh were a part of a group of 17 officers of the Navy that included four other women officers of the Indian Coast Guard, and 13 officers of Regular batch. All of them were awarded ''Wings'' on graduating as ''Observers'' at a ceremony on Monday at the INS Garuda in Kochi.

The ceremony was presided over by Rear Admiral Antony George, Chief Staff Officer (Training) who presented the awards and coveted wings to the graduating officers.

Though women have been deployed as logistics and medical officers onboard Navy fleet tankers, they have not been a part of the crew onboard destroyers for lengthy durations due to lack of privacy in crew quarters and the non-availability of proper bathroom facilities.

Also Read: COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India choked gold smuggling routes; Here's how