After 14 Years Of Struggle, Centre Grants Permanent Commission To Women Officers In The Army

The Ministry of Defence has finally issued a formal government sanction letter which directs that permanent commission will be given to all women officers in the Indian Army, especially to those who are registered under Short Service Commission (SSC) in all the ten streams.

Women officers in the Army will now have larger roles to play and the organisation is entitled to assigning women in non-combatant roles too, reported ANI. This news comes in the wake of a landmark verdict delivered on February 17, 2020, when the apex court had directed to centre that women officers in the Army be granted permanent commission and command postings.

The Army thus officially granted the permanent commission to women in ten streams, including army air defence, signals, engineers, army aviation, electronics and mechanical engineers, army service corps, and Intelligence corps in addition to the existing streams of Army Education Corps (AEC) and the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Department .

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What You Should Know

• The Ministry of Defense has issued a formal letter sanctioning the grant of Permanent Commission (PC) for women officers.
• The order specifically mentions that SSC women officers will be granted permanent commission in the force.
• In a verdict on February 17, the top court rejected the Centre's stand of women's physiological limitations as being based on "sex stereotypes" and "gender discrimination against women".
• The top court had also noted that Indian Army has sanctioned 50,266 posts for officers, while the posts currently occupied are 40,825 including 1,653 by women officers.

"The order specifies grant of permanent commission to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers in all 10 streams of the Indian Army," Army Spokesperson Col Aman Anand officially noted, Times Now reported.

Until now, only the Army Education Corps (AEC) and the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Department induct women officers. Also, a majority of women officers have a maximum tenure of 14 years in the Army. While delivering the order, the SC had said, "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 men and women who serve as equal citizens in a common mission."

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"Their Selection Board will be scheduled as soon as all affected SSC women officers exercise their option and complete requisite documentation," the Army spokesperson said.

Feature Image Credit: The Week

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