Women Army officers to approach Armed Forces Tribunal after being denied permanent commission

After being denied permanent commission even after the Supreme Court’s intervention, a number of women Army officers are set to approach the Armed Forces Tribunal. About seven women Army officers are said to challenge the order. The Army had rejected the permanent commission for 28 women officers.

The Supreme Court has twice intervened in this issue, and had said in early August that the officers can approach the Armed Forces Tribunal to seek a stay on their release. In March, the top court has chastised the Army and asked it to grant permanent commission to all women short commission officers who had scored 60% marks. The Army granted permanent commission to 147 women officers, in addition to 277 who had been selected earlier.

Moreover, the Army had set up a special selection board in 2020 after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling laying the ground for permanent commission to women officers in all ten non-combat streams. In July, the women officers were re-considered as per directions of the Supreme Court and fresh results have now been de-classified and consequently, 147 more women officers are being granted permanent commission – taking the total to 424 out of the 615 officers considered.

An officer told The Indian Express that after two landmark judgments by the Supreme Court, the Army has yet again misinterpreted the judgment to suit its inferior motives and denied permanent commission to 28 women officers and shown them the doors unceremoniously citing that they have not scored the required grade of 60%.

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She highlighted that the officers have crossed the two stages of extensions, one at 5^th year and then at 10^th year on the same criteria and same record of service which now renders them unfit. The officer added that majority of those officers have completed “more than 20 years of service”. “The officers have an impeccable and clean record, awarded for exemplary work, have served in sensitive roles and had been praised for their performance,” she said. “When every officer gets 60 days to represent and gets redressal against any presumed wrong assessment, these women officers have not even given that opportunity to seek and await redressal and have been asked to leave within 58 days of their result.”