Rekha Singh, the widow of Galwan Valley martyr Naik Deepak Singh, is breaking barriers and carrying forward her husband's legacy by becoming a Lieutenant in the Indian Army. She is among the 40 women set to graduate from the Officers Training Academy in Chennai on April 29.
Singh's husband, Naik Deepak Singh, was posthumously given the Vir Chakra, the third-highest wartime military honour in India, for his valiant actions during the conflict in the
isolated valley while battling numerically superior soldiers from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in June 2020.
Rekha Singh's story is a testament to the growing number of army wives whose husbands were killed in combat or in the line of duty and who are pursuing a career in the armed forces to carry forward their loved ones' legacy.
The
Indian Army is encouraging widows and family members of martyrs to become officers and is providing them with guidance to help them make a fresh start.
Spouses of soldiers killed in action are exempt from appearing in the Combined Defence Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (
UPSC) to qualify for the Services Selection Board interview. They are also given relaxation in age requirements.
An increasing number of army wives whose husbands were killed in combat or in the line of duty are pursuing a career in the armed forces to carry forward their loved one's legacy. These women are persevering in the aftermath of upheaval in their lives, inspiring others to follow suit.
The Indian Armed Forces have been taking steps to provide more opportunities for women to serve in various roles. Women in uniform are being assigned central roles equivalent to their male counterparts across the three services.
They are trained at the National Defence Academy, flying fighter jets, serving on warships, joining the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre, qualified for permanent commission, and given command responsibilities.
The recent commissioning of women into the artillery is the latest example of this trend.
