New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to grant permanent commissions to 22 women officers in line with a court directive to ensure gender equality but this will not apply to women officers who join in the future, said an official on Wednesday.
"We have started the process of according permanent commission to 22 women officers in accordance with a Delhi High Court order and have decided against challenging it," IAF spokesperson Tarun Kumar Singha told IANS.
The court order had come on a petition by the 22 short service commission officers, and some 28 more from the Indian Army, saying that the denial of permanent commissions to them was discriminatory.
Of the 22, two are still serving while 20 have retired after serving for 14 years as short service commission officers.
With their reinstatement, they will now be able to serve the same number of years as their male counterparts. Depending on the rank they rise to, male permanent commission officers can serve up to the age of 60.
Singha, however, clarified that the extension in service granted to the 22 women officers was a one-time exception.
Hitherto, male short service commissioned officers could opt for a permanent commission after completing 14 years of service. Women officers did not have this option.
"Two years ago, there was a policy decision that there could be no opting for a permanent commission. This will ensure there is no gender discrimination," Singha said.
"This will continue unless there is a change in policy," he added.
In a landmark ruling on March 12, the Delhi High Court asked the government to treat women and men officers in the army and air force at par while granting permanent commissions, saying "greater sensitivity was required" while dealing with gender issues.
A division bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M.C. Garg also ordered the reinstatement of all women short service commission officers who had to retire after being refused a permanent commission.
The court said its ruling was applicable only to women recruited in the IAF and the Indian Army before 2006, when the short service commission tenure went up from 10 to 14 years.
Women are now eligible for permanent commission only in the education, legal, medical, nursing and dental services of the armed forces. They get to serve for a shorter duration in non-combat or support arms of the armed forces.
The court order came on a petition by over 50 women officers of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force who were denied a permanent commission though they wanted to don the uniform for the rest of their working life.
The Indian Army is still studying the court order.
Currently, 5,137 women officers serve in the armed forces. They include 4,101 in the Indian Army, 784 in IAF, and 252 in Indian Navy. This includes women granted permanent commissions in the Army Medical Corps, the Army Dental Corps and their equivalents in the other two services as also in the Military Nursing Service.
In the Army, women serve in support arms like the Corps of Signals, Army Ordnance Corps, the Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers and the Army Service Corps.
In the Indian Air Force, women are inducted in all streams barring the fighter stream. In the Indian Navy there are restrictions on posting women officers aboard ships and submarines.
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