SC asks Army to take decision on granting permanent commission to 8 women officers

The Supreme Court granted another opportunity to the Indian Army to take a final decision on granting Permanent Commission (PC) to eight women Army officers, against the bar on their absorption in the armed forces, the lawyer appearing for women Army officers told ANI.

"One another opportunity has been given to the Indian Army to consider granting Permanent Commission to eight women officers, who had approached the Apex court in 2010," the lawyer, Aishwarya Bhatti, told ANI on Tuesday.

The PC would be granted for consideration by the Army to those women Army officers, who had approached the apex court, seeking a direction in this regard, according to Bhatti.

After being apprised by the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, that the issue is being already considered for giving the women Army officers the PC, the SC bench, headed by Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, said, "We can pass an order but we are giving you an opportunity to take credit for it."

ASG Jain today told the apex court that the central government had finally decided and agreed to grant PC, but the decision left out the women who had first approached the court in this regard.

In an affidavit filed by the Union of India, it had stated that the three wings of the armed forces -- Army, Navy and Air force -- and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are actively considering the issue of parity between male and female officers in securing the PC in the Armed forces, with regard to the various pending and concluded litigations before various Courts.