India / SC grants govt a month for permanent commission of 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, a permanent commission in the force. The SC's direction came on an application filed by the Centre seeking six months' time for the implementation due to COVID-19 pandemic. The SC's verdict came in February.

The Quint : Jul 07, 2020, 02:43 PM

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 7 July, gave one more month's time to the Centre to comply with its February verdict on giving serving SSC (Short Service Commission) women officers permanent commission in the army, PTI reported.

The top court directed the Centre to comply with all its directions given in the verdict.

The Defence Ministry reportedly submitted to the bench that the decision-making process in the matter is almost at its final stage and only the formal orders remain to be issued.

The Centre had earlier sought six more months to implement the verdict, in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a landmark verdict in February this year, the apex 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".

Army chief MM Naravane had then termed the SC judgment "very enabling".