New Delhi: The Supreme Court will decide today on giving command position to women officers in the Indian Army and whether they should be granted permanent commission on par with male officers.
In a note to the court, the government had pointed out several issues, including “physical prowess” and “physiological limitations”, as challenges for women officers to meet the exigencies of service in Army.
“Composition of rank and file being male, predominantly drawn from rural background, with prevailing societal norms, troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept WOs (women officers) in command of units,” said the note.
“Inherent physiological differences between men and women preclude equal physical performance resulting in lower physical standards and hence the physical capacity of WOs (women officers) in the IA remain a challenge for command of units,” the note said, adding that officers are expected to lead their men ‘from the front’ and need to be in prime physical condition to undertake combat tasks.
To this, the court said “administrative will” and “change of mindset” are required on the issue of giving command posts to women officers in the Army.
On the issue raised in the written note about a situation where a women soldier or officer may become a ‘prisoner of war’, the bench said there were other services in addition to direct combat operations where women officers may serve.
“It would be a situation of extreme physical, mental and psychological stress for the individual, the organisation and above all the government. Therefore, such a situation is best avoided by keeping the WOs away from direct combat,” the Centre has said in the written note.
In its note, the Centre said the country has two unsettled borders and Armymen are mostly deployed in isolated and detached posts in difficult terrain and adverse climatic conditions.
“The lines of communications are extended and the internal security situation in the north-east and J&K puts severe limitations on the functioning of units in these areas. These conditions have a major bearing in the employment of WOs in light of their physiological limitations accentuated by the challenges of confinement, motherhood and child-care,” it said.
In its written note, the Centre has said that women officers up to 14 years of service would be considered for permanent commissions and further career progression in staff appointments only.
It said that women officers above 14 years of service would be permitted to serve up to 20 years without consideration for permanent commission and would be released with pensionary benefits subject to meeting disciplinary and medical criteria.
The note said that women officers having over 20 years of service would be released with pensionary benefits.
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Source: News18