Supreme Court Tackles Discrimination Against Women Army Officers

The Supreme Court has commenced a critical hearing on petitions by women officers of the Short Service Commission (SSC) in the Indian Army. These officers claim that permanent commissions (PC) were unfairly denied due to gender-based discrimination.

A bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N Kotiswar Singh is examining cases from over 75 petitions filed by both serving and released officers. The court initially focused on Army officers but will later address similar grievances from Naval and Airforce officers.

Representatives for the women officers, including senior advocates Huzefa Ahmadi and Menaka Guruswamy, argue there is systemic discrimination found in casual grading of annual reports and lack of equal opportunities compared to male peers. The hearing, which remains ongoing, will continue on August 7, with interim measures preventing the release of these officers from duty until a decision is ruled.