Ponung Doming scripted history on Monday by becoming the first woman officer from Arunachal Pradesh to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army. Hailing from Pasighat, under East Siang district of the state, Ponung has been elevated to the Lieutenant Colonel rank from her earlier position as a Major.
She joined the Officers Training Academy in Chennai in 2008 and was elevated to the position of Major in just four-and-half years, reports North East Now.
The eldest daughter of Alom Doming and Jimmi Dai Doming, Ponung passed her high school from the government higher secondary school in Pasighat and later completed her Bachelors Engineering from the Walchand College of Engineering in Maharashtra. She has also represented India in the UN Peace Keeping Mission at the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports East Mojo.
Congratulating Ponung for her achievement, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval wrote in his Twitter handle, “Now this is a real empowered and daring woman!”
Chief Minister Pema Khandu also took to Twitter to congratulate Ponung.
A proud moment for all of us…
Major #PonungDoming creates history. She is first woman Army officer from #Arunachal to be elevated to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the #IndianArmy.
Hearty congratulations and best wishes! @adgpi pic.twitter.com/O33LbNWTsL
— Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) September 23, 2019
Women In The Armed Forces
The government had told Parliament last year that women in the armed forces are recruited only in the officer’s rank. According to the report, only 3.80 percent of officers in the Army are women. Navy has six percent of women officers, while the Air Force has 13.09 percent women officers.
However, after years of fighting stereotypes to be included in combat roles, women are getting their due.
In a first, women were hired for military police in the Army last month.
The recruitment of women as Soldier General Duty (Women Military Police) marks the first time that women will be taken in not only as officers but as soldiers, giving them an opportunity to be involved in active military duties, reports Indian Express.
Last month, Wing Commander Shaliza Dhami has become the first woman officer of the Air Force to have been elevated to the post of the Flight Commander of a flying unit.
