SC for greater role for women in Indian Navy
Holding that the “battle for gender equality is about confronting the battles of the mind”, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that women short service commission officers in the Indian Navy would be eligible for the grant of Permanent Commissions (PC) and gave the government three months time to comply with its directions.
Rejecting the various reservations pointed out by the “decision makers and administrators” against the grant of permanent commission to women short service commission officers in the Navy, a bench of Justices D.Y. Charndrachud and Ajay Rastogi said: “A hundred and one excuses are no answer to the constitutional entitlement to dignity, which attaches to every individual irrespective of gender, to fair and equal conditions of work and to a level playing field.”
Noting that history was replete with examples where women have been denied their “just entitlements under the law and the right to fair and equal treatment in the workplace”, the court said: “A level playing field ensures that women have the opportunity to overcome their histories of discrimination with the surest of responses based on their competence, ability and performance.”
The court described as “specious reasons” that sailing duties can’t be given to SSC women officers as the Russian-made vessels don’t have toilets for them. “In the context of the armed forces, specious reasons have been advanced by the decision makers and administrators.”
● The Supreme Court said all the Short Service Commission officers in the education, law and logistics cadres of Navy, who are presently in service shall be considered for the grant of permanent commissions.
The court noted there was “documentary evidence of the accolades which have been bestowed on women officers in the Indian Navy”.
The court recalled that in
1993, Commander Ruby Singh became the first Indian woman to lead a platoon in the Indian Navy’s contingent at Rajpath on Republic Day.
The INSV Tarini, which circumnavigated the globe, comprised an all-woman crew, while Sub-Lieutenant Shivangi became the first woman pilot of the Navy.
Having cleared the decks for the grant of permanent commission to women short service officers in the Navy, the court said in terms of the February 25, 1999 policy decision, all SSC officers, including women officers, are eligible for permanent commission — and noted that this has not been complied with.
The court said the stipulation in the policy letter dated September 26, 2008 making it “prospective and restricting its application to specified cadres/branches of the Indian Navy shall not be enforced”. The court also “quashed and set aside” the provisions of the December 3, 2008 “implementation guidelines” to the extent that they are made prospective and restricted to specified cadres.
Holding that the short service commission officers “can’t be left in the lurch”, the court said the situation has arisen due to the failure of the authorities to implement the policy statement of February
25, 1999 by which they were bound to offer them permanent commission, and as also by the decisions of the Delhi high court.
COURT RECALLS that in 1993, Commander Ruby Singh became the first Indian woman to lead a platoon in the Indian Navy's contingent at Rajpath on Republic Day.
INSV TARINI, which circumnavigated the globe, comprised an all-woman crew, while Sub-Lieutenant Shivangi became the first woman pilot of the Navy