PTI

New Delhi, Jul 27: Women in armed forces will now have parity of rank and salary with their male counterparts, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha on Thursday, while assuring that steps had been put in place to check suicides in defence services.

Describing as "very unfortunate" the suicides by defence personnel, including women cadres, Mukherjee said life in armed forces is "hard" and it is not possible to ensure that no such incidents take place although steps are being taken to reduce them.

Replying to queries during Question Hour, he said steps are being taken to encourage more women to join the armed forces as also men who too are not coming forward in expected numbers.

When asked about the recent incidents of suicide by two lady officers Lieutenant Sushmita Chakraborty and Captain Sumit Kohli, he said board of inquiries had been set up in both cases to look into the matter.

Mukherjee said the armed forces were opened to women for combat role in 1991 and at present their percentage is 2.56 in the Army, 2.86 in the Navy and 5.42 in the Air Force.

A decision has been taken that women officers in the Short Service Commission will get exactly the same rank as their male counterparts, Mukherjee said adding that the end to "discrimination" will also take care of disparity in salaries between the genders.

He said from now on women will be recruited at lieutenant level will be automatically promoted to the post of captain after two years, to the post of major after six years and to the post of lieutenant colonel after 13 years of reckonable service.

Since salaries are related to the ranks, disparity in this aspect will end with equality of promotions.