In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held that women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, who were denied Permanent Commission (PC) due to arbitrary assessment, are entitled to full pensionary benefits.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N. Kotiswar Singh ruled that these officers would be “deemed” to have
completed the minimum qualifying service of 20 years required for pension, even if released earlier.
The verdict arose from petitions, including those by Wing Commander Sucheta Edan, challenging the denial of PC following policy changes in 2019 and earlier Armed Forces Tribunal rulings. Reading the operative parts of the judgment, the CJI noted that Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) for women officers were often graded casually, assuming they would not be eligible for career progression. “The ACRs were written with the presumption that they would not undergo career progression. This adversely affected their overall merit,” he said.