Supreme Court to Central govt:’Grant permanent commission to women in Army’ else will pass order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday told the army to take a decision on permanent commission to eight women army officers who had approached the top court in 2010 against the bar on their absorption in the armed forces. Over the next nine years, the government finally agreed to grant permanent commission but this decision left out the women who had first approached the court

“We can pass an order but we are giving you an opportunity to take credit for it,” a bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud told the army after being told that a decision had been taken to grant permanent commission to women officers in the army’s 10 branches where women are inducted for SSC.

IAF  had already started recruiting women officers as fighter pilots and the Indian Navy had recruited women in off-shore branches.The Army was the only one of the three services to appeal against this decision in the Supreme Court.Now women officers retired after 14 years  had no scope of extension while their male counterparts were eligible to receive it after five years, which the petitioners cried foul as gender bias in work place.PM Narendra Modi had also supported the plan of  permanent commission for women and said it during  his address standing in the bulwark of  Red fort during Republic day celebrations last year.

Short Service Commission women officers would be required to indicate if they want a permanent commission within four years of service, under the new system.