New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (May 9) asked the Centre not to release women Army officers from Short Service Commission till the next date of hearing, saying “In the prevailing situation, let’s not bring their morale down.”.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh was hearing a batch of pleas filed by 69 officers challenging the denial of permanent commission to them.
The bench, while posting the hearing to August, asked the Centre not to “bring their morale down” in “the prevailing situation”, saying they have a better place to be and serve the country and this is not the time that they be asked to roam around in the Supreme Court.
This is not the time that they be asked to roam around in the Supreme Court, bench said
“In the prevailing situation let’s not bring their morale down. They are brilliant officers, you can use their services somewhere else. This is not the time that they be asked to roam around in the Supreme Court. They have a better place to be and serve the country,” Justice Kant said.
Decision was based on an administrative policy aimed at keeping armed forces young: Centre
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, who appeared for the Centre, argued that this decision was based on an administrative policy aimed at keeping the armed forces young. She urged the bench not to grant any stay on the release of the women officers, submitting only 250 personnel were granted permanent commission annually.
The case of Colonel Sofia Qureshi was mentioned during the hearing
Senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy, who appeared for colonel Geeta Sharma, referred to the case of Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh briefed media on ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7 and 8, and said that she had also earlier approached the top court for a similar relief related to permanent commission and now she has made the country proud.
The bench without commenting much on the submission made by Guruswamy said the present case before it was purely a legal one and would be decided on the basis of legal principles, rather that the individual achievements.
Apex court in a 2020 verdict ruled in favour of granting Permanent Commission to women officers in Indian Army
The Supreme Court, in a verdict delivered on February 17, 2020, ruled in favour of granting Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers in the Indian Army, saying the absolute exclusion of women from all others except staff assignments is indefensible and the blanket non-consideration of women for criteria or command appointments without any justification by the Army cannot be sustained in law.
The top court in its 2020 verdict acknowledged the achievements of Colonel Sofia Qureshi and other women Army officers while granting permanent commission to women officers in Indian Army.
Several orders have been passed by the top court since the 2020 verdict on the issue of permanent commission to women officers in Armed Forces and similar orders was passed in the case of Navy, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.
