The government cited a US precedence to defend the plea for permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army
The government cited a US precedence to defend the plea for permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army
Are you a fool? You cannot demand from the government the infrastructure, social security and safety that an average American enjoys.
But, the government can tell its women officers that they cannot be given a permanent commission in the Indian Army because their counterparts in the US Army are also not entitled to the privilege.
The Solicitor General of India Gopal Subramanium had to take refuge in the American policy of not allowing permanent commission to women soldiers in combat units to save the face of the government while defending a similar plea by a group of female officers.
"But we are not part of combat units. So far we get commissioned in service arms only like ordnance corps, services, education corps and etc. The defence ministry has agreed to give permanent commission to future women officers in education corps and legal branch but we have been selectively excused from the benefit," said a litigant, requesting anonymity.
The battle waged to get a permanent commission by 21 women officers of the Indian armed forces is in a decisive stage.
After about a year, the court has finally asked the government to stop dilly dallying over the issue and come up with at least a "clear proposal" till August 21, the next date of hearing in the case.
All the litigants will be retiring on August 26, however, the Solicitor General promised the officers a "fair deal" during the last hearing on July 24.
However, the officers are not ready to buy the government's theory. "Even though the court has expressed its support the government is cooking up a new story everyday to get rid of us. We never asked for any freebies but our career and honour," said a petitioner.
The court has pulled up the government on many occasions for its negative line of defence.
It was claimed that the officers have not undergone the requisite training to get a permanent commission. But while doing so the fact that each one of them has completed 14 years of distinguished service in the Army was overlooked completely.
"It's a clear cut case of gender bias. Army offers extensions to those officers who have reached 50 years of their age on the grounds that they are in combat arms. But it never extends the similar privilege to us. In fact, so far the Army has not even considered discussing the issue with us," said another petitioner.
DISPARITYWomen are inducted in the Army as officers under the Short Service Commission (SSC) for a maximum period of 14 years but their male counterparts are eligible to receive permanent commission after five years.
