Suprime court boost for women officers in Army...

NEW DELHI: The last male bastion is about to be stormed as women on Friday inched towards permanent commission in Army on the basis of the Supreme Court's interim order. 

A bench comprising Justices J M Panchal and H L Gokhale directed the Army to take back 11 women officers who were discharged after completing 14 years of service despite the Delhi High Court ruling that the women had a right to permanent commission. 

Just months back, the court had restrained the Army from discharging serving women officers after they complete 14 years of service. With Friday's interim order, the Army will now have to take back the discharged women officers and continue those who are in service till the apex court decides its appeal. 

Pursuant to the HC order, Indian Air Force and Navy had agreed to grant women permanent commission but the Army had challenged the decision in the SC on the ground that it could create operational difficulties. 

Counsel Meenakshi Lekhi countered the Army's "operational difficulty" argument by informing the bench that she had documents to show women officers being posted in sensitive areas along with gentlemen officers and engaged in non-combat operations. 

Lekhi said some posts had been named after women officers and pleaded that the court should lay down a level playing field for women officers. 

During pendency of the appeal, the SC had stayed initiation of contempt proceedings against Army for not implementing the HC order after the government promised to dispassionately examine the issue of grant of permanent commission to woman officers, who were taken only on short service commission. 

Having obtained immunity from contempt proceedings, the Army continued to discharge women officers who completed 14 years in service. When this was objected to, the court had earlier restrained Army from discharging serving woman officers. 

Woman officers had accused the Army of suffering from gender bias in not granting permanent commission to the women who worked shoulder to shoulder with other similarly placed gentlemen officers in non-combat arms of armed forces