Photo for representation
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 19
Women officers who seek permanent commission in the Army have been permitted to witness the proceedings of the selection board as observers in order to add transparency to the process.
The Special No. 5 Selection Board, constituted to screen women army officers for grant of permanent commission commenced its proceedings at Army Headquarters on September 14, 2020.
The board is headed by a senior general and includes a woman officer of the rank of Brigadier as a member, according to an official statement issued today. The rank signifies that the woman member is from the medical stream. Grant of permanent commission is to the aspirants meeting the minimum acceptable medical standards.
In February this year, the Supreme Court had ruled that women officers, who had joined the Army through the Short Service Commission (SSC) entry, were entitled to a permanent commission just as their male counterparts were.
A number of SSC women officers had sought judicial intervention to their claim for grant of permanent commission. While initially women officers were not entitled for permanent commission and could serve for a maximum of 14 years, a few years ago, permanent commission was allowed in the Judge Advocate General’s Department and the Army Educational Corps.
In July, the Ministry of Defence issued a formal sanction letter in this regard. It allowed permanent commission to women officers in 10 more arms and services that include Army Air Defence, Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Military Intelligence, Army Service Corps and Army Ordnance Corps.
There are close to 1,700 women officers in the Army and about 600 are eligible to opt for permanent commission. The Supreme Court had also directed the Army to consider women officers for command roles in specified branches.
In May the Army had made the Battle Physical Efficiency Test mandatory for all women officers, including those commissioned before 2009 and now over the age of 35 who were earlier exempt. The junior command course at Army War College, Mhow, is now also mandatory for women officers.