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Defence & Security
Mahesh

18/11/22 06:55 AM IST

SC asks IAF to consider 32 women ex-SSC officers for grant of permanent commission

In News 
  • The Supreme Court recently directed the Centre and the Indian Air Force to consider granting Permanent Commission (PC) to 32 retired women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers based on their suitability with the purpose of giving them pensionary benefits.
About Permanent Commission 
  • PC means a career in the army till the age of retirement. In short service Commission, the period of service is limited to 10 years (+ 4 years extension).
  • In a landmark verdict on February 17, 2020, the Supreme court directed that women officers in the Army be granted a permanent commission, rejecting the Centre’s stand on their “physiological limitations” as being based on “sex stereotypes” and “gender discrimination against women”
  • Women were allowed in the armed forces in 1992 in non-medical roles. Currently, women are allowed in all branches of the Indian Air force (IAF), all non-seagoing branches of the Indian Navy and 10 branches of the Indian Army.
Background 
  • Under the Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme, women were commissioned into the Army for a period of 10 years, extendable up to 14 years.
  • Women were, however, restricted to roles in specified streams such as Army Education Corps, Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps, and Corps of Engineers. These specified streams excluded combat arms such as infantry and armoured corps.
  • While male SSC officers could opt for permanent commission at the end of 10 years of service, this option was not available to women officers. Women officers, were, thus, kept out of any command appointment, and could not qualify for government pension, which starts only after 20 years of service as an officer.
  • However, in the February 2019 policy statement, the Government endorsed the permanent commission for SSC women officers in 10 streams of the ‘Combat Support Arms’ and ‘Services’ sections. But it was said that the women officers would not be offered any command appointments, and would serve only in staff posts.
Source- Times of India 

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