Milestone Achieved: Government Allows Permanent Commission for Women Officers In Indian Army

New Delhi, India:

The Ministry of Defence issued a formal sanction letter granting a permanent commission for women officers in the armed forces this decision came five months after the Supreme Court ruled that Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers in the Indian Army to be sanctioned a permanent commission (PC), the Defence Ministry on Thursday 23^rd July issued a formal sanction letter for granting PC to them, clearing the way for women in a male-dominated force. The Supreme Court on February 17 had instructed that women officers in the Army should be granted permanent commission declining the Central government’ stance of their physiological restrictions as being based on “sex stereotypes” and “gender discrimination against women”.

Earlier it was directed to the Centre that within three months, all serving SSC women officers will have to be considered for Permanent Commissions irrespective of them having crossed 14 years or, as the case may be, 20 years of service.

An army spokesperson said that the order will pave the way for “empowering women officers to shoulder larger roles in the organisation”. A selection board will be constructed shortly to pick women for PC.

“The order specifies grant of permanent commission to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers in all 10 streams of the Indian Army, their selection board will be scheduled as soon as all affected SSC women officers exercise their option and complete requisite documentation,” said Army Spokesperson Col Aman Anand.

The Indian army in a statement said “In anticipation, the Army Headquarters had set in motion a series of preparatory actions for conduct of the Permanent Commission Selection Board for affected women officers.”

The order will be specifying grants of PC to SSC women officers in 10 streams of the Indian armed forces which includes: Army Air Defence (AAD), Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Army Service Corps (ASC), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), and Intelligence Corps in addition to the existing streams of Judge and Advocate General (JAG) and Army Educational Corps (AEC).

Wing Commander Anupama Joshi (retd), from the first batch of women officers commissioned into the IAF in the early 1990s, said the army should allow women in combat roles too “As they say ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ The government needs to be lauded for this leap. The equity has been achieved, however, equality still remains a goal to strive for,” added Joshi.

Senior counsel Aishwarya Bhati, who appeared for petitioners in Supreme Court, expressed her happiness saying “It is wonderful to finally see this. I am elated.”

There are 1,653 women officers in the army which institutes 4% of the entire strength of commissioned officers in the Armed forces.