SC Pulls Up Centre Over Permanent Commission To Women In Army

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday, pulled up the Union government for not implementing the High Court order on granting permanent commission to women in the army. The order was delivered by Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta. The apex court also said that scant respect was given to the High Court order in this regard.

In effect, the Supreme Court has called for gender parity in the army and said that the Union government's stand is reflective of deeply entrenched biases. Women should be entitled to all benefits, the apex court said and added that there can't be absolute exclusion of women officers from command posts.

Gender justice will guide engagement with women in the army, the Supreme Court pointed out. The court stressed on equality of opportunity for all citizens. The Supreme Court added that stereotypes need to be broken.

The apex court further said that there is no ground to deny officers permanent commission even if they have already completed 14 years of service. The Centre's stand was that the government would allow women who have not completed 14 years of service to opt for permanent commission, while those who have completed this tenure would be let go on pensionable basis after completing 20 years of service.

The apex court remarked that gender justice will guide women in the army. It has called for a change in the mindset of authorities. Importantly, the Supreme Court observed that women officers brought laurels to the nation and cited the examples of Capt. Tania Shergill, who led the Republic Day Parade in the national capital, and Capt. Madhumita, who was awarded a Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for her bravery in Afghanistan. The court also gave the examples of women officers as convoy commanders in Kashmir and Leh.

The Supreme Court further held that terms of appointment for women in the army should be the same as men.