Retired women naval officers welcome order on permanent commission

Say they want to rejoin the Navy

Welcoming the Delhi High Court order allowing a plea for permanent commission for women naval officers, two officers, who retired as per short service norms, today said they are keen to rejoin Naval service.

Commanders Supriya and Prasanna E, who were among the batch of petitioners in the high court, said hitherto women were allowed only Short Service Commission (SSC) in Navy with a service period of 14 years.

Now that the court has granted the plea for permanent commission, the officers want to rejoin the Navy.

"We are yet to get the details of the verdict. We also do not know the procedures and other formalities of Navy in this regard. But, all of us are eagerly waiting to go back to the service," Supriya, who retired in 2010, told PTI.

The September 4 verdict allowing permanent commission to women naval officers as available to their counterparts in Army and Airforce would definitely strengthen women empowerment in the country, Prasanna said.

"A number of officers including me had to retire from the service, even though we were all well-trained and physically fit, due to the existing law," she said.

Prasanna, who hails from north Kerala and served as ATC in the Navy before retirement in 2008, said she was more happy about the serving and future women officers as the verdict would provide them continuity in career.

A bench of Justices Kailash Gambhir and Najmi Waziri of the high court, had allowed permanent commission while passing orders on pleas by 19 women officers, both serving and retired from the logistics, education and ATC departments of the Navy.