New Delhi: On Thursday, The Union Defence Ministry has finally issued the formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to Women Officers in the Indian Army after the order issued by the Supreme Court for empowering women officers who play large roles in the organisation.
The Indian Army said in a statement that the order is specially grant of PC to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) Women Officers in all ten streams of the Indian Army i.e 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).
Selection Board Soon
After all affected SSC women officers exercise their option and complete requisite documentation their Selection Board will be scheduled soon.
The Army said that “ Indian Army is committed to provide equal opportunities to all personnel including women officers to serve the nation”.
Earlier this month, Justices DY Chandrachud, head the bench of Supreme Court, had granted one more month to the centre for implementation of its verdict directing that permanent commission should be given to all serving SSC women officers in the Indian Army.
During the passage of the coronavirus lockdown, the central government had requested to grant a 6 month extra to complete its verdict from the top court.
At the time of hearing, the centre told the bench head that whatever decision making on the issue is done is at a final stage and only formal orders will remain to be issued.
On February 16, The Supreme Court had, in a landmark verdict. the top court had Administer that women officers in the Army force be granted permanent commission and command postings, rejecting the Centre’s stand of their physiological limitations as being based on gender discrimination against women.
The Centre had decided that within three months, all serving SSC women officers have to be considered for Permanent Commissions irrespective of them serving the nation whether they have crossed 14 years or 20 years of service.