SC finally won the legal battle for women to get Permanent Commission in the Indian Army
New Delhi: Thirty-nine women came up with flying colours to have a Permanent Commission over a legal battle in the Supreme Court, which ordered the government to ensure their new service status is granted earliest in seven working days.
It is a victory for women in our country. As a Permanent Commission states to be a career in the army till retirement. While Short Commission has ten years of tenure with the option of either leaving or opting for Permanent Commission at the end of 10 years. If an officer doesn't get a Permanent Commission then, the officer can choose a four-year extension.
There were about 71 Short Service Commission officers, who were denied Permanent Commission, had gone to the Supreme Court seeking Permanent Commission.
According to the report of the centre, over 71 women candidates, only 39 were eligible for being on the list of Permanent Commission. some were unfit and 25 women had "discipline issues".
The Supreme Court then directed the centre to give a detailed report explaining the reasons why the 25 were not eligible for Permanent Commission.
On October 1, the court had told the government not to relieve any of the officers from service.
A two-judge bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice BV Nagarathna, who is in line to become the first lady chief justice of India, was hearing the matter.
The government was given three months to complete this process.
The army's evaluation criteria for granting Permanent Commission to women officers were "systematically discriminated against them", the Supreme Court had said at the time.
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