New Delhi: Cadet Rekha Singh, wife of Galwan hero, Late Naik (Nursing Assistant) Deepak Singh, was commissioned into the Indian Army Saturday as an officer after completing her training from Chennai-based Officers Training Academy.
Her first posting is to Ladakh, the same command under which her husband made the supreme sacrifice.
Apart from Rekha, the Army also commissioned its first set of women officers into the Regiment of Artillery Saturday.
Sources in the Army said Lieutenant Singh has been commissioned into the Ordnance Corps.
Rekha and Deepak, who was awarded the country’s third highest wartime award, Vir Chakra, were married for just 15 months when the clash with Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) took place in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in 2020. As many as 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the clash.
Naik Singh is credited with treating not just his fellow brothers in the clash but also Chinese soldiers despite being injured himself. It was a falling rock that killed him while he was tending to Chinese soldiers.
Rekha decided to join the Army after her loss. She could not clear the entrance exam in the first attempt but made it through in the second try.
Women officers in artillery
Five women officers joined the Regiment of Artillery after successful completion of training.
These five officers are being provided exactly the same opportunities and challenges as their male counterparts (19 male officers are also commissioned into the Artillery).
Sources said these young officers are being posted to all types of artillery units where they will get adequate training and exposure to handle Rocket, Medium, Field and Surveillance & Target Acquisition (SATA) & equipment in challenging conditions.
Out of the five women officers, three are posted to units deployed along Northern borders and two in locations in the Western Theatre.
Lt Mehak Saini is commissioned into a SATA Regiment, Lt Sakshi Dubey & Lt Aditi Yadav into Field Regiments, Lt Pious Mudgil into a Medium Regiment, and Lt Akanksha is commissioned into a Rocket Regiment.
In January this year, Army chief General Manoj Pande had announced the decision of commissioning women officers into artillery which was later approved by the central government.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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