Wife of Galwan hero joins Indian Army, posted in eastern Ladakh

Rekha Singh, the widow of one of the 20 braves killed in a skirmish with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Galwan Valley in June 2020, was on Saturday commissioned into the Indian Army as a lieutenant and is set to join a unit deployed in eastern Ladakh where India and China have been locked in a standoff for almost three years, officials familiar with the matter said.

“Woman Cadet Rekha Singh, wife of Late Naik (Nursing Assistant) Deepak Singh, #VirChakra (Posthumous) got commissioned into #IndianArmy after completing her training from #OTA #Chennai. Nk Deepak made the supreme sacrifice during the #Galwan Clashes,” Indian Army wrote on Twitter.

Rekha was married to Naik Deepak Singh of the 16th Battalion of Bihar Regiment who was killed in action in the remote valley while fighting numerically superior Chinese soldiers on June 15, 2020 and was posthumously awarded Vir Chakra for his heroism in November 2021. Vir Chakra is India’s third-highest wartime military honour after Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and Maha Vir Chakra (MVC).

Also Read: Indian Army commissions 5 woman officers into Regiment of Artillery

The infantry battalion’s commanding officer, Colonel B Santosh Babu, who was awarded MVC, was among the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the seven-hour deadly conflict near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley.

According to India’s assessment, PLA’s casualties were twice as many as Indian Army’s though Beijing officially claimed that only four Chinese soldiers were killed.

Five female cadets, among the 200-odd cadets who passed out pass out from Chennai-based Officers Training Academy, were also commissioned into the regiment of artillery for the first time, said one of the officials cited above, on the condition of anonymity.

Out of the five, three have been posted to units guarding the China border, he said.

Lieutenant Mehak Saini was commissioned into a SATA (surveillance and target acquisition) regiment, lieutenant Sakshi Dubey and lieutenant Aditi Yadav into field regiments, lieutenant Pious Mudgil into a medium regiment, and lieutenant Akanksha into a rocket regiment.

The women officers commissioned into the regiment of artillery will be provided with the same opportunities and face the same challenges as their male counterparts (19 male officers were also commissioned into artillery), said another official, who also asked not to be named.

The women officers are being posted to different artillery units, where they will get training and exposure to handle a raft of weapons and systems in challenging conditions, said the official.

A growing number of army wives whose husbands were killed in combat or in the line of duty are choosing to pursue a career in the armed forces to carry forward the legacy of the brave men, soldiering on in the aftermath of upheaval in their lives and inspiring others to follow suit.

The army is encouraging women eligible of becoming officers to follow in the footsteps of their late husbands and also providing them guidance to make a fresh start.

Also Read: China again seeks to de-link standoff at LAC with bilateral relations

The wives of soldiers killed in action are granted exemption from appearing for the Combined Defence Services Examination, conducted by Union Public Service Commission (USPC), to qualify for the Services Selection Board interview. They are also entitled to age relaxation.

The commissioning of women into artillery is the latest in a series of steps taken by the armed forces to open more doors for women.

Women in uniform are no longer on the fringes but are being assigned central roles on a par with their male counterparts across the three services – they are flying fighter planes, serving on board warships, being inducted in the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre, eligible for permanent commission, being assigned command roles, and undergoing training at the National Defence Academy.

To be sure, tanks and combat positions in the infantry are restricted zones for women.