Women get PC in Army, finally

The defence ministry has issued the formal sanction letter for the grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers in the Army, paving the way for empowering them to shoulder larger roles.

The Supreme Court had in February directed that serving women officers recruited under the Short Service Commission (SSC) will have to be considered for Permanent Commission and holding of command in non-combat formations.

Earlier this month, the apex court had given a onemonth extension to the Centre to implement its February judgment.

The defence ministry order specifies grant of PC to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers in ten streams — Army Air Defence, Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Army

Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, and Intelligence Corps. Permanent Commission has already been granted to women officers in Judge and Advocate General (JAG) Corps and Army Education Corps since 2008. “In anticipation, the Army Headquarters had set in motion a series of preparatory actions for conduct of the Permanent Commission Selection Board for women officers,” said Army spokesperson Col. Aman Anand. He said that selection board will be scheduled soon.

The ministry order specifies grant of PC to Short Service Commissioned women officers in Army Air Defence, Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, and Intelligence Corps.