Lady Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the Indian Air Force could soon be offered permanent commission (PC) by the government which may only partly challenge a recent Delhi high court verdict in the Supreme Court. Well-placed defence sources told this newspaper that the government may take a view that since the
Indian Air Force lady SSC officers were promised permanent commission by the IAF earlier, the government should not challenge the verdict in respect of the IAF lady officers.
However, the government appears to be veering around to the view that since no such promise was made by the Army to its lady SSC officers, the MoD should go ahead and challenge the Delhi high court verdict — in respect of the lady Army officers — in the Supreme Court.
In a landmark judgement three months ago, the Delhi high court had ordered grant of permanent commission to 50 Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers — belonging to both the Army and Indian Air Force —— who had accused the government of gender discrimination.
In its judgement, the high court had ruled, “The SSC women officers of the Air Force who had opted for permanent commission and were not granted the same but granted extension of Short Service Commission, and of the Army are entitled to permanent commission at par with male Short Service Commissioned officers with all consequential benefits.”
“There were also male officers performing the same task. If the male officers can be granted permanent commission while performing those tasks, there is no reason why equally capable women officers cannot be granted PC. It is not a charity being sought by the women officers but enforcement of their own constitutional rights,” the high court had ruled. The IAF women officers among the petitioners had contended that the IAF had promised in its advertisement for recruitment that SSC officers would be offered permanent commission after completion of five years in service and subject to availability of vacancy and suitability of the candidates. They further contended that the IAF had changed the recruitment policy in May, 2006, which now states that no SSC officers whether male or female would be given permanent commission. The women officers of the submitted before court that they were not given permanent commission when they applied for it. However, their counterpart male officers working with them were granted permanent commission which was discriminatory. The officers of the Army had also sought absorption in the permanent commission.