A Woman’s Journey to Becoming Ladakh’s First Female Army Officer

In a tweet on Tuesday, the Northern Command said, ‘Lt Gen. Upendra Dwivedi commended Lieutenant Rigzin Chorol for beating all odds and becoming first woman officer from Ladakh and realising her husband’s dream, who laid down his life in the service of the nation.’

After the tragic loss of her husband, Rifleman Rigzin Khandap of 3 Ladakh Scouts, a few years ago, Chorol embarked on her journey to become the first woman officer from Ladakh. Her perseverance paid off as she graduated from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai last year, along with the latest batch of Indian Army officers.

Last year, Chorol had said, ‘My husband was in Ladakh Scouts and wanted to be an Army officer. I wanted to join the Army after the tragedy because he wanted me to… This is like realising his dream.’

Several Indian Army officers provided guidance and assistance to Chorol in fulfilling her dreams following the death of her husband.

With a degree in Economics, Lieutenant Rigzin Chorol gained attention on social media when a photo of her with her 15-month-old son circulated after her graduation from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) last year, where she was one of 35 female cadets among a total of 151 graduates.

Following his meeting with Lieutenant Rigzin Chorol, who is currently posted in Ladakh, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi conducted a review of the operational situation in Sub Sector North of the Union Territory.

The Northern Command reported that Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi praised the significant contributions of the troops stationed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in bolstering India's border defence.

As part of an effort to expand the range of responsibilities for women officers, the Indian Army has deployed several female officers to forward areas in the recent past. Women officers who were recently promoted to the rank of Colonel have been assigned various important tasks.

According to an Indian Army official, ‘Women Officers are serving proudly and confidently in various operational theatres of the Indian Army. With an aim to provide equal opportunities to women, the Indian Army has granted Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers at par with their male counterparts. With the grant of PC, women officers can aspire to achieve greater glory and shoulder higher ranks and responsibility.’