Over 400 women Indian Army officers- some of whom fought a legal battle lasting 14 years - have been found eligible for permanent commission by the Army.
According to sources in the armed service, this came out in the board results declassified by the Army on Thursday. The Army headquarters had convened a Special Number 5 Selection Board to screen women officers to grant them permanent commission.
The eligible women officers are of the rank of majors and lieutenant colonels. Many of them have already served in the Army for over 20 years, but had not been given promotions since the matter was sub-judice.
615 Women Screened 422 Qualified
As many as 615 women were screened, who were in the service bracket of 10-25 years, of which 422 qualified for permanent commission on the basis of their appraisal records.
Of the 422 officers, 57 opted to leave the service with pension.
Many among the 46 officers in the age bracket of 35-50 years, whose results were withheld, had approached the apex court, stating that the medical criteria laid down in the GI to evaluate them are the same as those used for male officers aged 25-30 years, who are given the option of a permanent commission in their 5th and 10th year of service.
[The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment on 17 February, had granted permanent commission to women officers in the Army irrespective of their number of years of service. The women officer-litigants had been fighting the case for over a decade.
The results of around 46 women officers have, however, been withheld on administrative grounds and non-receipt of medical documents, said Army sources. These officers will continue to serve in the Army on provisional extension.]
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