Final hearing on women Army officers' plea in SC over granting permanent commission on Feb 24

The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed the matter for final hearing on February 24 on the plea by women officers in the Indian Army who had approached the Apex Court over non-implementation of its Apex Court order to grant them a permanent commission.

Last year, the Top Court had ordered the Central government to grant Permanent Commission (PC) to them in the Army's non-combat support units on par with their male counterparts.

A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Dr D Y Chandrahud, and also comprising Justice M R Shah, today fixed the matter for a final hearing to February 24.

One such petition was filed by one woman officer, through her lawyer, Chitrangda Rastravara and Advocate on Record (AOR) Archana Pathak Dave, before the Supreme Court seeking its immediate direction to implement its earlier order.

The petition copy, filed before the Apex Court by the aggrieved woman Army officer, revealed that till date, as far as the procedural aspects of it, are concerned, there are certain ambiguities, which are not addressed by the Army yet.

Chitrangda said that the Apex Court had clearly in its verdict in February 2020, had directed the Union of India to give all the benefits to all women officers, including PC, including promotion and all consequential benefits, irrespective of the number of years of service they might have put in.

"Despite the ruling of the Top Court, the implementation of the judgment is done only for good optics, and to eliminate the women officers from army rather than including them in the institution as per the intent of the directions given by the Supreme Court," Chitrangda had told .

The Army, however, claimed that out of 615 women officers, there are, 422 who are eligible and found fit for PC in the Army. But in reality, only 277 out of 422 have been granted PC and the remaining number i.e. 145 are those officers who are either non-optees or whose result is withheld due to medical and administrative reasons, 193 officers have been denied PC, Chitrangda said.

According to her petition, this figure of 422 is a figure only for good optics and does not truly portray the actual number. Thus, finding those officers who are non-optees fit for PC and denying the same to optees smacks of gross arbitrariness.

( With inputs from ANI )