The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that there was no discrimination against Short Service Commission (SSC) women Army officers in the grant of permanent commission (PC), asserting that the policy framework in place applies equally to both men and women.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N. Kotiswar Singh was hearing petitions filed by women officers who alleged that despite exemplary service, including participation in major operations such as Galwan, Balakot, and the recent Operation Sindoor, they were overlooked for PC.
Appearing for the Union government and the Army, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati maintained that the system was transparent, gender-neutral, and strictly merit-based. She explained that the annual confidential reports (ACRs) of officers were prepared without revealing names, leaving no scope for bias.
“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,” Bhati submitted. She added that “criteria appointments” or postings in difficult operational areas were not the sole determinant for PC, as multiple aspects in the ACR were assessed.
The petitioners, however, claimed that despite serving in hostile areas and taking part in critical operations, their contributions were not adequately reflected in the selection process. They further alleged that the government had failed to fully implement the Supreme Court’s landmark 2020 and 2021 rulings mandating gender parity in PC consideration.
The bench observed that the policy seemed flawed, noting that in some batches officers scoring as high as 80 marks were denied PC, while in other batches those with 65 marks were selected. “Women officers should not be made to think that they will not be considered for permanent commission,” the bench told the Centre.
Bhati also pointed to systemic challenges, highlighting the skewed ratio of regular officers to SSC support staff against the desired 1:1 balance. She said the intake was constrained by a cap of 250 officers per batch considered for PC, based on merit rankings.
Bhati’s submissions are scheduled to continue on Thursday. The matter remains under consideration as the court weighs the officers’ claims of gender-based bias against the Centre’s assurances of a fair and uniform selection process.
