Govt seeks 6 months from SC to work out modalities
Centre has told the Supreme Court that the armed forces have embarked on proposing a series of measures to usher a more “liberal regime” to grant permanent commission (PC) to women officers and open new streams of induction for them.
In an affidavit in the SC, the ministry of defence said it needs six months to formulate modalities and enforce the changes and alterations in the three forces. “All three wings of the armed forces (army, navy and air force) and the ministry of defence are actively considering the issue of parity between male and female officers in securing PC in the armed forces,” read the affidavit.
This is the first time that the government has given a statement in writing before the court in the matter related to permanent commission for women officers. The case relates to the Centre opposing the Delhi high court’s 2010 order granting permanent commission to women officers recruited in army on short service commission (SSC).
Although the army allows permanent commission to women officers in two branches — judge advocate general (JAG) and education
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— it has refused to extend the same to other branches.
The air force and the navy, too, grant permanent commission to women but in selective streams.
The Centre’s formal stance was filed on the directions issued by the top court on April 28, when a bench led by Justice NV Ramana described the oral submissions as wishy-washy. On April 13, the bench had pulled up the Centre for harassing SSC women officers by opposing their plea.
Restriction of employability of women in army is inescapable due to the “peculiar operational compulsions”, the ministry said. Therefore, the classification of streams for making permanent commission available to women officers only in selective streams will be based on the service conditions of the various streams.
Measures to eradicate the divide between male and female officers in as many streams as possible are being adopted in a gradual process, having regard to the “peculiar characteristics” and operational constraints of each stream, the Centre added.
It said it will begin by allowing women officers to serve for 20 years without any screening after completing the 14-year tenure under the SSC. This will entitle them to pensionary benefits.