7 women Army officers move Supreme Court after Army denies them permanent commission
The seven officers are among the 11 women officers whose career in the Army ends on September 12. In total, the Indian Army has declared 28 women officers unfit to be in the service.
FollowSeven women Army officers have moved the Supreme Court against the Army for terming them unfit and hence eligible for the permanent commission.Â
In their petition. the women officers have termed the order as discriminatory.
The seven officers are among the 11 women officers whose career in the Army ends on September 12. In total, the Indian Army has declared 28 women officers unfit to be in the service.
The matter is likely to come up before the Apex court next week.Â
Speaking to Asianet News, one of the women officers who approached the Supreme Court said, "Many of us have served in the Army for 20 years and the extension was given twice on the criteria which is now the basis for granting permanent commission to the women officers. All of sudden, the Army now says we are not eligible for the permanent commission."
She claimed the out of the 28 women officers whose careers are being curtailed, 15 are medically fit too.
In February 2020, the Supreme Court had in a historic ruling asked the government to grant permanent commission to women officers. In this regard, a special board was created for their identification.Â
The board considered 615 women officers eligible for the permanent commission. Out of which, 424 women officers were granted permanent commission while the results of 77 have been withheld and 28 were declared unfit to remain in the service.Â
A top Army official said, "There is a process and everyone has to go through that process. It is not about gender. Not every male officer joining through the Short Service Commission gets a permanent commission. Only 60-65 per cent of them are able to get through."
As of now, there are 43,000 officers in the Indian Army that include 1650 women officers, which is just a meagre 3.83 per cent.Â
The Army had only granted permanent commission in its eight branches, including Army Aviation Corps, Signals, Engineers, Electronic and Mechanical Engineers, Army Air Defence, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Intelligence Corps while infantry, armoured and mechanised infantry have been excluded.
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