The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Supreme Court of India has called upon the Central Government to delineate the criteria and process for the empanelment of Army officers, spotlighting concerns over potential gender discrimination in the promotion of women officers to the rank of colonel. This request emerged amidst allegations by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing women Army officers, who claimed unequal treatment in the promotion process compared to their male counterparts.
The judicial bench, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and including Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, mandated Attorney General R Venkataramani to submit an affidavit elucidating the government’s stance on this matter. The controversy was sparked by perceived disparities in the treatment of women officers in their journey towards empanelment for the colonel rank, prompting the Supreme Court’s intervention.
During the proceedings, Ahmadi highlighted an earlier Supreme Court order from November 3 of the previous year, emphasizing that it intended for all eligible women officers to be considered by the special selection board 3B for colonel promotion, excluding those already empanelled. He argued that including previously empanelled officers in the current selection violated this directive, suggesting a discriminatory practice against women.
In response, Venkataramani defended the selection process, arguing that empanelment hinges on a comparative analysis of merit among officers of the same batch, as detailed in the policy document submitted by the Union government. He insisted that previously empanelled officers were not to be re-evaluated, which was a necessary benchmark for new selections.
However, Ahmadi countered this by pointing out that such a benchmarking exercise was not applied to male officers’ empanelment, indicating a bias against female officers. This argument prompted the Supreme Court to request further clarification from the Attorney General, setting the next hearing for March 11.
The Supreme Court has previously criticized the Army’s reluctance to empanel women officers as colonels as “arbitrary,” ordering a reconvening of the special selection board to reassess their promotion. The ongoing legal battle underscores a broader push for gender equality within the Indian Army’s ranks, following landmark judgments affirming women officers’ rights to permanent commission and equal opportunities for promotion, irrespective of gender stereotypes or discrimination.
The dispute, deeply rooted in the broader struggle for gender parity in the military, reflects ongoing efforts to dismantle systemic barriers and ensure a more inclusive and equitable environment for all service members. The Supreme Court’s directive to clarify the empanelment process aims to uphold justice and fairness, reinforcing the principle that merit, not gender, should determine an officer’s career advancement in the Indian Army.