Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 24: In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday held that women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the armed forces who were denied Permanent Commission (PC) due to arbitrary assessments are entitled to full pensionary benefits.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N. Kotiswar Singh, invoked its extraordinary powers to ensure complete justice, ruling that such officers would be “deemed” to have completed the mandatory 20 years of qualifying service for pension, even if they were released earlier.
The verdict came on a batch of petitions, including those filed by Sucheta Edan and others, challenging denial of Permanent Commission following policy changes in 2019 and earlier decisions of the Armed Forces Tribunal.
The court observed that Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of women officers were often graded casually under the assumption that they would not be considered for long-term career progression. “This adversely affected their overall merit,” the bench noted.
Addressing cases across the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force, the court found that criteria introduced in 2019—such as service length and performance benchmarks—were implemented hastily, particularly in the Air Force, depriving officers of a fair chance.
Exercising powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India, the court directed that, as a one-time measure, all SSC women officers considered for Permanent Commission by selection boards between 2019 and 2021 shall be deemed to have completed 20 years of service. Pension will be calculated accordingly, with effect from November 1, 2025.
However, the bench declined to order reinstatement, citing concerns over operational effectiveness, while making it clear that such considerations cannot be used to deny financial benefits.
The Centre had earlier defended its policy as gender-neutral, stating that elimination of officers is part of maintaining a youthful profile in the armed forces.