SC gives govt 30 days to grant permanent commission to Army women officers

The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave one more month to the government to implement its verdict giving all Indian Army women officers having a limited tenure permanent commission in the force.

A bench headed by Justices D Y Chandrachud said that the Centre will have to comply with all its directions given in its verdict. The top court's direction came on an application filed by the Centre seeking six months' time for implementation of the verdict citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a landmark verdict on February 17, the top court had directed that women officers in the Army be granted permanent commission and command postings, rejecting the Centre's stand of their physiological limitations as being based on "sex stereotypes" and "gender discrimination against women".

It had directed the Centre that within three months, all serving Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers have to be considered for Permanent Commissions (PCs) irrespective of them having crossed 14 years or, as the case may be, 20 years of service.