SC asks army to produce notification on permanent commission

The Supreme Court today asked the army to produce before it the government notification which debars women officers from getting permanent commission in the armed forces.A bench comprising justices JM Panchal and Gyan Sudha Misra granted the army a week's time to place before it the notification and the other relevant material.Additional solicitor general Parag Tripathi, appearing for the force, submitted that Army rules permits permanent commissioning for women officers in the wings of judge advocate general (JAG) and education departments.The army had moved the apex court challenging the Delhi high court judgment directing the armed forces to grant permanent commission to women serving in the armed forces.The appeal against the March 12 verdict of the high court was filed a day after its single bench issued contempt notice to the army chief and the defence ministry for not complying with its direction.The high court had directed the government to allow grant of permanent commission to women serving in short service commission, saying they "deserve better from the government" which had shown reluctance in treating them on par with their male counterpart.Delivering the verdict on a batch of petitions filed by more than 60 serving and retired women officers from army and air force, the division bench had said they would be treated equally with male officers.However, it had turned down their plea of being allowed in combat operations.The high court had rejected the plea of the government that permanent commission can be allowed only for future recruitment and the benefit cannot be given retrospectively for the serving and retired lady officers who had approached the court.The air force has granted permanent commission to women in compliance with the high court order. No officer from the navy had approached the court.Currently, women are inducted in the Army as officers under the Short Service Commission for a maximum period of 1 years whereas their male counterparts are eligible to receive permanent commission after five years.Following the high court's earlier direction to treat women officers on par with their male counterparts in armed forces, the government had in September last year taken a policy decision to grant permanent commission to those women officers who would be recruited in future for the post of judge advocate general and in education departments.