Boost for women in Indian Navy! In an effort to bring gender neutrality in the Indian Defence Forces and fairness to the women cadres of Indian Navy, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday has granted permanent commission to the women officers serving in Indian Navy, reported the news agency PTI. The apex court has said that both men and women officers should be treated equally in the Indian defence forces. A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud has given the decision and has also asked the central government to grant permanent commission to women officers within a time period of three months with increments.
Justice DY Chnadrachud further said that if women officers who are serving the nation will be denied permanent commission, it would result in a serious miscarriage of justice, added the PTI report. The apex court has said that women can excel in the Indian defence forces as efficiently as their male peers and hence there should be no discrimination between officers of the forces on the basis of gender. Additionally, the apex court also said that the lifting of the statutory bar to allow the entry of women has already created a path for the women officers to grow and rise higher in ranks.
This fresh judgement comes just one month after a similar judgment by the Supreme Court that had allowed the permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army. The court had then said that there should not be any restriction on giving women officers command posting in the Indian army. The Supreme Court bench that had given the order to grant permanent commission to women in Indian Army was also headed by Justice DY Chandrachud. He had then said that women have brought laurels for the country in the past and it was imperative for the government to recognise those efforts to end the gender bias in the defence forces.
Officers who get permanent commission are entitled to serve as officers in the force till they hang up their boots unlike in Short Service Commission, which allows them a service period of only 10 years and which can only be extended up to 14 years.