Army to give permanent commission to women

There are 2,200 serving women officers 1,200 in Army,750 in Air Force and 250 in the Navy as per Ministry of Defence figures.

Major Leena Gurav,a serving JAG officer who had pioneered the litigation for permanent commission back in 2003,would be one of the first to be considered for permanent commission.

Women SSC officers will be considered for permanent commission in JAG and education corps… The case of Major Leena Gurav may be considered on priority subject to requirements. In view of the statements made at Bar by the Solicitor General,the contempt proceeding is stayed till further order, the Bench of Justices J M Panchal and Gyan Sudha Misra said.

The days hearing started with a point-blank question from Justice Misra to the SG: If you (Army) cannot give permanent commission why at all give short service commission. Either they are in or out. If Air Force can give,why not the Army?

Subramanium replied that SSC officers as a rule do not have to lead a troop to battle,and so far a lady officer has not been posted in battle. He explained that the nature of duty of an SSC officer is markedly different from that of their permanent counterparts,the latter being trained for the purpose of command. They (permanent commissioned officers) take command courses,they are trained to lead men into battle, the SG argued.

But Justice Panchal countered this point,and asked for proof to show that every male officer,transferred from SSC to permanent commission,has been posted to the battlefield. The court further asked the Army to file an affidavit enumerating the duties given to male officers in the permanent commission. It was at then that the SG came forward with a proposal to consider serving women officers for the two non-combat branches in the Army.

On July 26,the Army had argued that while service of SSC women officers in the Air Force were extended as per their suitability,the Armys service policy clearly did not offer such flexibility.