New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday granted Permanent Commission to women military officers, terming it a step towards “complete justice,” in a landmark ruling aimed at ensuring gender equality in the armed forces.
The court held that women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force who were denied Permanent Commission and released after 14 years of service would be entitled to pension benefits.
Invoking Article 142 of the Constitution of India, the apex court said the relief was necessary to deliver complete justice in the matter.
Earlier, in December, the Centre told the court that there was no discrimination in granting Permanent Commission to SSC women officers in the Indian Air Force.
Appearing for the government, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said 243 men and 177 women officers had been granted Permanent Commission since 2019 under the Human Resource Policy (HRP) 01/2019.
Refuting allegations of bias raised by some SSC officers denied Permanent Commission, she said the candidates were fairly assessed on three occasions but could not meet the minimum performance criteria or qualify on merit against available vacancies.
Bhati further submitted that the 2019 policy allows three opportunities for consideration—during the 11th, 12th and 13th years of service—compared to a single opportunity under earlier policies. (Agencies)
