PM Announces Permanent Commissioning Of Women In Armed Forces

New Delhi: On the occasion of Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that women officers recruited under the short service commission in the armed forces will have the option of taking up permanent commission.

“Women officers of Short Service Commission in the armed forces would now be eligible for permanent commission through a transparent selection process like their male counterparts,” the Prime Minister said in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

He described it as a “gift” to the “brave daughters”.

He, however, did not give any indication whether permanent commissioning of women will pave the way for their entry into the combat positions in the Army and the Navy. The Indian Air Force has already started inducting women fighter pilots.

According to a report published by PTI, the central government is likely to come out with a comprehensive policy on permanent commissioning of women in the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force.

All the three services have opened permanent commission (PC) of women in education, legal, signals, engineering and several other streams.

In April, the Centre had told the Supreme Court that it was considering granting permanent commission to short service commission women Army officers.

A group of women Army officers recruited under SSC scheme had approached courts seeking the status.

Majority of women recruits in the Army are short-service commission (SSC) officers with maximum tenure of 14 years.