The lok Sabha on Friday debated over issues like granting permanent commission to women pilots and health scenario and diseases in the country among others.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the lok Sabha that the decision on granting permanent commission to women pilots will be taken within a year. Detailing the health scenario, Minister JP Nadda said about 10-12 million people in the country suffer from severe mental disorder and another 50 million from common disorders like depression and anxiety. He said this data is per 2005 survey.
Responding to a series of supplementaries on induction of women as fighter pilots, Parrikar said three women candidates have been selected for ‘stage-II’ training as fighter pilots who would be ready by June-July. He said as of now they have been inducted in short service on an experimental basis to ascertain the difficulties that could be faced and taken care of before they are inducted on a permanent basis.
Parrikar said the decision on granting them permanent commission will be taken “soon” and went on to add that it will be taken in “one year”. BJP chief whip Arjun Ram Meghwaly faced the ire of the Speaker for saying that women are afraid of flying MiG-21 fighters due to its high accident rate.
While asking a supplementary to Parrikar on induction of women in IAF’s combat stream, Meghwal said women are afraid of flying MiG 21s due to their high accident rate. “Don’t say like that,” Speaker Sumitra Mahajan told Meghwal.
“Do you agree,” she asked the Defence Minister, who immediately replied in the negative. Meghwal then sought to explain that what he actually meant was that awareness should be orgainsed at NCC and school level against the fear of flying.
Citing the National Commission of Macroeco-nomics and Health reported in 2005 that 10-20 million (1-2 per cent of population) suffered from severe mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Another nearly 50 million (5 per cent of population) suffered from common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, yielding an overall estimate of 6.5 per cent of the population, Nadda said in lok Sabha.