‘Discrimination in grant of PC’: Women Army tell Apex Court, claim verdicts not followed

The officers have relied upon the 2020 Babita Puniya case and 2021 Nishita case verdicts

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The Short Service Commission (SSC) women Army officers on Thursday told the Supreme Court that they were discriminated against in the grant of permanent commission as compared to their male counterparts, despite having participated in crucial operations like in Galwan, Balakot and the recent Operation Sindoor.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh was told by serving and discharged women officers that the Centre has repeatedly violated the directions issued by the Apex Court in 2020 and in 2021.

“They have repeatedly violated the mandamus issued in 2020 and in 2021 and discriminated in the grant of permanent commission to women officers,’ senior advocate V Mohana, appearing for some officers, told the bench.

Mohana said the Centre blamed the shortage of vacancies for the low intake of women officers for permanent commission, but since 2021, there have been numerous occasions when the cap of 250 officers was breached.