Permanent Commission for Women in Army: Centre seeks six months for implementation, Supreme Court gives one month

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court today gave the Centre one month time to implement its order to give all women army officers under the Short Service Commission (SSC) a permanent commission in the army..Today's direction was issued by the Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and KM Joseph following a plea by the Ministry of Defence seeking six months' time to implement the Court's February order to grant permanent commission to eligible women officers in the army and make provisions enabling them to hold command posts..Change mindset to bring true equality in Army: SC holds Permanent Commission should be available to all women officers.The Defence Ministry through Senior Advocate R. Balasubramanian had cited the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for seeking an extension to implement the order in “letter and spirit.”.In its petition, the government had said that its administrative functioning was crippled due to the pandemic as offices were closed during the lockdown and that it was difficult to implement the Supreme Court's orders..The Ministry of Defence further submitted that the decision making is at a final stage and that only formal orders remain to be issued..Women officers to be granted Permanent Commission, exclusion from Command Postings violates Articles 14: Supreme Court.In February, the Supreme Court had said that women who have served more than 14 years in the Short Service Commission in the army should also have the option of permanent commission. The Court commented that there was a "fundamental fallacy" in the Centre's prospective policy of considering only women with less than 14 years for permanent commission..At present, woman officers can serve in the army for 10 to 14 years in the Short Service Commission. Women officers are allowed entry into Army Service Corps, Ordnance, Education Corps, Judge Advocate General, Engineers, Signals, Intelligence and Electrical and Mechanical Engineering branches..The Supreme Court had also cleared the grant of permanent commission for women in the Indian Navy in March, observing that women officers can sail with the same efficiency as male officers..There cannot be gender discrimination in granting permanent commission to women in Navy, Supreme Court