A top Army general has raised serious concerns about eight women officers under his command in a report after reviewing them. He pointed out issues such as "mundane ego problems" and "lack of empathy," among others. The report comes two years after the Army promoted 108 women officers to the rank of Colonel, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling.

After finishing his tenure as commander of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps on November 20, Lieutenant General Rajeev Puri conducted a review of eight women officers under his command. He subsequently submitted his findings in a report to Lt General Ram Chander Tiwari, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command.

In his review, he recorded some "serious concerns” regarding “interpersonal relations" and a "lack of tact and understanding" among the Colonel-rank women officers. The report states the main reason behind this is a lack of "understanding of the personal requirements of unit personnel".

It also says that the officers tend to complain excessively and have ego issues that get out of hand.
Lt General Puri’s review also states that the Colonel-rank women officers tend to have a "my way or the highway" attitude when making decisions. Apart from this, the report points out a rise in officer management issues in units led by women officers over the past year.

The senior officer wrote in the letter dated October 1, "Most cases involve a lack of tact and an understanding of the personal needs of unit personnel, especially officers. The focus tends to be on ending conflicts through force rather than resolving them with mutual respect. Prejudice and mistrust were evident in some of the recent cases."

Lt General Puri accounts in the review that this led to "high levels of stress in the units." He also says that it was a "routine" practice for women officers to take credit for accomplishments, rather than attributing them to subordinates and encouraging their efforts. Meanwhile, he also pointed out that some women officers have a "serious misplaced sense of entitlement" and seek "immediate gratification" for minor achievements.

According to the report, due to limited exposure to operational tasks and, a lack of understanding of the hardships involved, women officers show insufficient compassion for the troops performing these duties.
To address these concerns, Lt General Puri advocates for a focus on "gender neutrality" instead of "gender equality."

It is also worth noting that, after the Supreme Court's ruling, a special selection board was formed to promote 108 women officers to the rank of select-grade colonel.