PERMANENT COMMISSION: WOMEN ARMY OFFICERS MOVE SC

Focus: GS-II International Relations

Why in news?

Women Army officers moved the Supreme Court to debunk the defence establishment’s announcement that 422 of 615 women officers screened have been found “fit” for a permanent commission.

Details

• Women Army Officers said the announcement regarding “fitness” for permanent commission was more optics than substance.
• The said that only less than 50% of the women officers have been actually granted permanent commission (PC).
• They stated that the actual number of women officers “granted” PC would come to about 277 – less than half of 615.
• Compared to this number, 90% male officers have been cleared for PC in the Army.
• Army set out arbitrary medical thresholds for them during the screening process for PC – which the Women Army Officers said, were criteria aimed to “eliminate women officers on arbitrary grounds”.

Supreme Court on Eligibility for Permanent Commission

• The Supreme Court dismissed the Union government’s submissions that women are physiologically weaker than men as a “sex stereotype”.
• The Supreme Court declared that Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers are eligible for permanent commission and command posts in the Army irrespective of their years of service
• The court dismissed the government’s stand that only women officers with less than 14 years of service ought to be considered for permanent commission, and those with over 20 years of service should be pensioned immediately.
• The court has done away with all discrimination on the basis of years of service for grant of PC in 10 streams of combat support arms and services, bringing them on a par with male officers.

Women in the Indian Defence Forces

Year wise induction details of women officers in the three armed-forces during the past three years and current year, given in a written reply is as follows:

% of women officers is more in Indian air force than army and navy.

-Source: The Hindu