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Manohar Parrikar Is In Favour Of Having Women In Army's Counter-Terrorism Operations

I Am In Favour Of Having Women In Army's Counter-Terrorism Operations: Manohar Parrikar
Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar looks on as he waits to receive US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter at the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi on June 3, 2015. AFP PHOTO / MONEY SHARMA (Photo credit should read MONEY SHARMA/AFP/Getty Images)
MONEY SHARMA via Getty Images
Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar looks on as he waits to receive US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter at the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi on June 3, 2015. AFP PHOTO / MONEY SHARMA (Photo credit should read MONEY SHARMA/AFP/Getty Images)

PANAJI -- Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said he is in favour of assigning roles to women in the army's counter-terrorism operations.

He said "in principle" he was in favour of women in combat positions, but a final decision would be taken later.

"I don't see why not. We take them as equal in everything," Parrikar said in reply to a question.

The ministry could assign them "role in counter-terrorism operations (at the borders) or even to tackle terrorists within the country," he said.

He was speaking at a fund-raising function in Bambolim on the outskirts of Panaji yesterday evening.

Earlier this week, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha had said IAF had moved a proposal to induct women as fighter aircraft pilots.

"It has to be done in a phase-wise manner. It won't happen immediately," Parrikar said, adding that the final notification on inducting women as fighter aircraft pilots would also take sometime.

He cited that the United Arab Emirates Air Force has women fighter plane pilots who had carried out strikes on ISIS targets.

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