INDIA. Mumbai: In response to Supreme Court directions and recommendation of a special number five selection board, 147 additional Indian Army women officers were granted permanent Commission (PC) by the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday.
A Special Number 5 selection board for screening women officers for grant of PC was constituted in September 2020 and results were declared in November 2020. Further, in March 2021, the Supreme Court directed to re-consider some cases of women officers who were not granted PC by laying down revised parameters for grant of PC.
The women officers were re-considered as per directions of the SC and fresh results and were de-classified. Consequently, 147 more Women Officers are being granted PC, taking the total PC granted to 424, out of the 615 officers considered. Results of few women officers have been withheld for administrative reasons and awaiting the outcome of the clarification petition filed by the Government of India, in the SC.
All Women Officers granted PC would undergo special training courses and challenging military assignments to empower them for higher leadership roles in the Indian Army. A batch of 33 Women Officers has already completed the Mid Level Tactical Orientation Course from Army War College, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh recently.
Further, all women officers who were considered in this Special Number 5 Selection Board and not granted PC, will yet be eligible for pension subject to serving for a minimum of 20 years in service. Some women officers who have already served for 20 years have been released with a pension, while others will be allowed to continue to serve till 20 years and would be released with a pension.
PC to Women Officers in junior batches has also commenced from December 2020, in which they are considered for PC in their 10th year of service. With a grant of PC, the Women Officers are transcending into an era of gender parity and are gearing up to assume challenging leadership roles, akin to their male counterparts, an official statement said.
