Special selection board to consider 246 women Army officers for promotion: Centre to SC

The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court a special selection board has been convened in January next year to examine the promotion of 246 women Army officers.

Senior advocate R Balasubramanian, representing the Ministry of Defence, submitted before a bench presided over by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that the issue of promotion of these women officers will be examined by a special selection board.

Balasubramanian said the selection board would sit for 13 days - since January 9 to January 22, 2023.

The bench, also comprising Justice P S Narasimha, was informed that all the women officers, who joined the Army between 1992 and 2006, would be considered for 150 additional vacancies in the colonel rank, which were recently sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Finance.

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The bench asked the government to file an updated report and fixed the matter for consideration on January 30.

Balasubramanian contended that male officers whose promotions were cleared in the last two selection boards would not receive their placements until the one scheduled exclusively for women in January finalised its list.

On December 9, the top court had observed that the Army has not been fair to the women officers who claimed delay in promotion after they were granted permanent commission following apex court direction in 2020.

The counsel, representing the women officers, had contended that since the 2020 judgment, 1,200 junior male officers have been promoted. The top court was informed that the Army has sanctioned 150 seats for promotion of women officers.

The court was hearing a plea by 34 women Army officers, who claimed that junior male officers are being considered over them for promotions.