Army has begun recruitment drive for the first batch of women soldiers, who will be inducted in non-combat roles. Rallies were held in various cantonments including those in Lucknow and Shillong yesterday.

The army is conducting a selection test for the first batch of 100 women soldiers to be taken into the Corps of Military Police.

Army officials said women candidates from West Bengal, Odisha and Sikkim attended the rally in Shillong, which is being conducted over two days.

Candidates from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand attended the rally in Lucknow. At present, women in the Army work only in areas like engineering, medical, legal, signals and educational wings.