Women Army Officers Move Supreme Court upon Being Denied Permanent Commission

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 8 September 2021

The women in the Indian Army have filed an appeal in Supreme Court against an order asking some of them to leave service by September 12. 28 women officers have been declared unfit to serve in the Indian Army and 11 of them have been told to leave.

Seven of the officers have knocked the highest court of appeal terming the order discriminatory.

“Most of us have served more than 20 years and have been given extensions twice on the very criteria which now is the basis for grant of permanent commission to women officers. But the Army is now saying that we are not eligible,” said an army officer.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had rebuked the Army and asked it to grant permanent commission to all women short commission officers who had scored 60 per cent marks. The Army granted a permanent commission to 147 women officers. In February 2020, the Supreme Court granted a permanent commission to women officers, after which a special board was set up to identify the women officers to be commissioned. Among 615 women officers, 424 were granted permanent commission.

“Not every male officer joining through the Short Service Commission gets a PC. Only 60-65 per cent get it,” said an army officer.

“After two landmark judgements by the Supreme Court, the Army has yet again misinterpreted the judgement to suit its inferior motives and denied PC to 28 women officers and shown them the doors unceremoniously citing that they have not scored the required grade of 60 per cent,” said an officer.

The officer added, “When every officer gets 60 days to represent and gets redressal against any presumed wrong assessment, these women officers were not even given that opportunity to seek and await redressal and have been asked to leave within 58 days of their result.”

There are approximately 43,000 officers in the Indian Army, of which 1,650 are women making 3.83 per cent. Women have been granted Permanent Commission in Army Air Defence, Signals, Engineers and other divisions.