Women can get permanent commission in the Army New Delhi: In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court Monday directed that women officers in the Army be granted permanent commission and command postings, rejecting the Centreu2019s stand of their physiological limitations as being based on u201c sex stereotypesu201d and u201c gender discrimination against womenu201d. The apex court directed that within three months, all serving SSC women officers have to be considered for Permanent Commissions ( PCs) irrespective them having crossed 14 years or, as the case may be, 20 years of service.
It said however that the question of combat posting of women officers is a policy decision and was not dealt by the Delhi High Court in its 2010 verdict.
The top court accepted the Centreu2019s policy of February 25, 2019 to grant PCs to Short Service Commission ( SSC) women officers in all the 10 streams in the Indian Army. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi rejected the Centreu2019s submission and said that mindset change is required to recognise values of the Constitution.
u201c To cast aspersion on their abilities on the ground of gender is an affront not only to their dignity as women but to the dignity of the members of the Indian Army u2018 men and womenu2019 who serve as equal citizens in a common mission,u201d the bench said. A gencies Short Service Commission women officers Anjali Bisht, Seema Singh and Sandhya Yadav flash the victory sign outside Supreme Court. PIC/ PTI
