Supreme Court says yes to permanent commission for women in Navy

New Delhi, Mar 17: The Supreme Court has upheld the induction of serving Short Service Commission women officers in the Navy in permanent commission.

A permanent commission entitles an officer to serve in the Navy till he or she retires. Under the SSC, which is currently for 10 years, it can be extended only for four years.

The case relates to the appeals filed by the Union Government against an order of the Delhi Court which held that there was no convincing reason to exclude serving women officers from consideration for permanent commission.

The Centre had in 2008 decide to grant permanent commission to women officers. However the same was applicable only prospectively to women SSC offers. The serving women officers were excluded from this entitlement. The HC had held that the exclusion of serving women officers from permanent commission was arbitrary.