No discrimination in grant of permanent commission to women SSC officers: Centre to SC

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The Centre on Wednesday denied any discrimination in granting permanent commission to Short Service Commission (SSC) women Army officers when compared with their male counterparts while assuring the Supreme Court that all parameters were being duly followed.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh questioned Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre and the Army.

She informed that the policy decision was being followed in grant of permanent commission.

Countering the arguments of the women officers, who moved court, Bhati said the annual confidential reports of those officers were actually gender neutral without an element of discrimination.

The bench told Bhati that women officers should not be made to think that they will not be considered for the permanent commission.

Bhati said it was impression sought to be created but statistics since 1991 showed women officers were not discriminated against their male counterparts.

"In the Army, we have been following a very strict regime and there is no question of discrimination, as the selection board does not have the name of the officer before it," she submitted.

Dealing with the arguments of non-consideration of "criteria appointment" or difficult area posting in the ACR of women officers, Bhati said such appointments were inconsequential and the officers were marked in average in the annual confidential reports.

"There are several aspects in the ACR which are considered at the time of grant of permanent commission. Criteria appointment is not the sole criteria which is considered," Bhati said.

The women officers have contended that despite being posted in difficult areas and having participated in operations like Galwan, Balakot and the most recent Operation Sindoor, they were not considered for the PC.

A criteria appointment usually means an officer given command of a post in a difficult and hostile area or operation.

Bhati said the ratio of regular officers to the corresponding support staff through SSC against the desired ratio of 1:1 was very skewed.

She said there was a shortage of good officers and pointed to the cap of 250 officers, which are being considered for grant of permanent commission depending on the merit a SSC batch officer gets.

The bench said the policy appeared to be flawed and pointed out a few SSC officers with 80 marks could be selected from a batch of "very bright" officers whereas from another batch, officers with a score of 65 could also be selected.

Bhati submissions would continue on Thursday.

On September 18, the SSC women Army officers informed the apex court that they were discriminated against in the grant of PC as compared to their male counterparts, despite having participated in crucial operations like in Galwan, Balakot and the recent Operation Sindoor.

The bench was informed by serving and discharged women officers that the Centre had repeatedly violated the directions issued by the apex court in 2020 and in 2021.

Some officers blamed the shortage of vacancies for the low intake of women officers for permanent commission while others pointed to discrimination in criteria appointments. PTI MNL MNL AMK AMK