Defence minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal that will entitle women soldiers, sailors and air warriors to the same maternity, childcare and child adoption leaves as female officers in the three services, the defence ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

“With the issuing of the rules, the grant of such leaves to all women in the military, whether one is an officer or any other rank, will be equally applicable,” it said.

This comes at a time when the armed forces have opened their doors to women in the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre for the first time under the Agnipath recruitment model.

The decision is in line with the minister’s vision of inclusive participation of all women in the armed forces, irrespective of their ranks, the statement said. “The extension of leave rules will go a long way in dealing with women-specific family and social issues relevant to the armed forces. This measure is going to improve the work conditions of women in the military and aid them to balance the spheres of professional and family life in a better manner.”

While the navy has already begun recruiting women under the Agnipath scheme, the air force and the army are also set to do so.

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The Agnipath model marked a stark departure from the military’s decades-old recruitment system that ended after the government announced the new scheme last year. It seeks to recruit soldiers for four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in regular service for 15 more years after fresh screening.

Those recruited under the model are called Agniveers.

With the recruitment of women Agniveers, the armed forces will be empowered with the bravery, dedication and patriotism of women soldiers, sailors and air warriors to defend the land, sea and air frontiers of the country, the statement added.

“From being operationally deployed in Siachen, the highest battlefield in the world to being posted on warships as well as dominating the skies, Indian women are now breaking barriers in almost every field in the armed forces. In 2019, a significant milestone was also achieved through recruitment of women in the Indian Army as soldiers in the Corps of Military Police.”