Delhi High Court’s Landmark Ruling in Favor of Indian Army’s Women Officers

In yet another landmark ruling, the Delhi High Court asked the government to treat the women and men officers in the army and air force at par while granting them permanent commission. Women officers in the Indian army serve in non combat capacity in areas such as law, air traffic control, administration, engineering, intelligence and so on. The Delhi High Court turned down the plea for allowing women to participate in combat operations.

Women Officers Eligible for Permanent Commissions

Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M.C.Garg ordered reinstatement of all women Short Service Commission officers who were forced to retire after being refused Permanent Commission. Typically, SSC officers, whether they are men or women, serve for a maximum period of 14 years but male officers can continue till the age of 60 years but this usually depends on the rank to which they belong. Women officers have typically served for shorter durations. 

The Delhi High Court ruling on 12th March 2010 came in the wake of a petition that was filed by 50 women officers of the Indian Army and Airforce. The ruling is applicable only to those women officers who were recruited prior to 2006, the year when the government decided to stop shifting officers from SSC to PC. The counsel of the petitioners, Rekha Pali, described the ruling as a “big victory for all of us!”

Reports from various sources indicate strong resentment against the Delhi High Court ruling in the armed forces. There is growing concern about the legal implications of this ruling and much debate continues as the armed forces plan to challenge this decision in the Supreme Court.