MASSIVE: Supreme Court grants permanent commission for women officers in Navy

The Supreme Court on Tuesday delivered its judgment on permanent commission for women officers in the Navy. The SC in its verdict said that there cannot be gender discrimination in granting permanent commission to women officers in the Navy after the statutory bar was lifted by the Centre to allow entry of women officers in the Navy. 

SC also directed Centre to grant permanent commission to serving women officers in the Navy within three months. The judgment was delivered by a bench of justices DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi.

The Court's order said, "Women can sail with the same efficiency as men, and there should not be any discrimination. The denial of permanent commission to SSC women in the Navy who have served the nation is a grave miscarriage of justice. The application of women officers in service for the Permanent Commission in Navy shall be considered on availability of vacancies."

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The Centre had decided in September 2008 to grant permanent commission to women officers but the same was applicable only prospectively to women SSC officers. The serving women officers were excluded from this entitlement. The HC had held that the exclusion of serving women officers from the permanent commission was irrational and arbitrary. The court cited women officers who had retired during the pendency of the case before they could be reinstated.

A permanent commission entitles an officer to serve in the Navy till he/she retires unlike short service commission (SSC), which is currently for 10 years and can be extended by four more years, or a total of 14 years.

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SC's verdict on for women in forces 

Earlier in February, the SC upheld the 2010 Delhi HC judgment to direct that Permanent Commission must be given to all women officers in the Army irrespective of their years of service. The apex court stated that this was necessary to tackle the 'gender discrimination' that took place in the armed forces.  Addressing this, the SC bench headed by Justice Chandrachud observed that Centre's argument note for opposing permanent commission and command appointment to women citing physiological features perpetuates "gender stereotypes".  

"It is an insult to women as well as the army when aspersions are cast on women, their ability and their achievements in the army," read the SC's order.  

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(with agencies inputs)