Give permanent commission to women in Navy: HC

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Indian Navy to give permanent commission to women officers in select branches, asserting that the court would “frown upon any endeavour to block progress of women”.

A group of 19 women officers of the Navy had moved the high court in 2010 after the maritime service refused to give them permanent commission, which would allow them to serve the Navy till retirement in their 50s.

Without permanent commission, the maximum service period for a woman officer in the Navy is 14 years. They are also not entitled for any pension benefits as they do not complete the mandatory 20-year service.

Women used to be inducted in the armed forces as Short Service Commission Officers with a maximum service period of 14 years. But due to several litigations that finally went in favour of women officers, the government came out with two orders in 2008 and 2011, allowing consideration of eligible short service commission officers for permanent commission in select branches.

“The Indian Air Force implemented the orders. The Army challenged them in the Supreme Court, but also did not retire the short service commission officers after 14 years. The Navy opposed the decision,” Rekha Palli, the advocate for the Navy women officers, who was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced, told Deccan Herald.

Details not out

Details of the judgment remain unknown as the high court has not yet made it public. “The court said there would not be any gender bias against women,” said Palli, who also fought the court cases on the IAF women officers.

As on October 2014, the Navy had 458 women officers in logistics (123), air traffic control (61), education (105), law (2), observer (37), naval construction (24), medical (104) and dental (2) branches. In the last 10 months, another 50 women officers joined the Navy. Navy officials claimed that the primary reason for not granting permanent commission to women, at least in the logistics and flying branches, was absence of women-specific facilities on-board in the old-generation ships.

Only from INS Shivalik, inducted in 2010, onwards indigenous ships were equipped with these facilities.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in July 2015 informed Parliament that 340 women short service commissioned officers were granted permanent commission in the armed forces.
“All of them are in the IAF, which is the only service giving permanent commission to women so far,” said Palli.

Women contingents from all the three services marched on the Rajpath on the Republic Day-2015, showcasing their power. The combat branches, however, still remain outside the reach of women in the armed forces.