Govt is working to strengthen ‘Stree Shakti’ in Indian Armed Forces: Rajnath Singh on Supreme Court order on permanent commission for women

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday (February 17) said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has supported the idea of permanent commission for women and announced the change in policy in his Independence Day speech in 2018, and welcomed the Supreme Court's landmark verdict that directed the Centre to grant permanent commission to all women officers in the Army within three months.

In a series of tweets, Rajnath Singh said, "I wholeheartedly welcome Honble Supreme Court’s judgement on giving the Women officers permanent commission in the Armed Forces. PM Shri 
@narendramodi has supported the idea of permanent commission for women & announced the change in policy in his Independence Day speech in 2018."

I wholeheartedly welcome Honble Supreme Court’s judgement on giving the Women officers permanent commission in the Armed Forces. PM Shri @narendramodi has supported the idea of permanent commission for women & announced the change in policy in his Independence Day speech in 2018. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 17, 2020

He also added, "As of June 2019, women were inducted in all branches of the Indian Air Force, with terms and conditions for women officers being issued from time to time. GoI is working to strengthen the ‘Stree Shakti’ in our Armed Forces and we stand committed to move forward in this direction." 

The apex court bench, headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud, said that women officers in the past have brought laurels to the country and change of mindset is required on the part of the government to put an end to gender bias in armed forces.

In another tweet, the defence minister said, "A historic decision to allow women in field operations cam earlier when the then defence minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman announced that women will be inducted into the Military Police. The recruitment process has started in 2019."

"The plan was to recruit women in roles ranging from probing crime cases to assisting the army in field operations wherever required. There have been instances where certain women officers have been in the job for nearly twenty years, while SSC term terminates in fourteen years," Rajnath Singh said.

Talking about the government initiative, he said, "In 2019, the defence ministry granted a permanent commission to women in all 10 branches of the Indian Amry, including Signal Corps, intelligence, aviation, engineering, service corps and ordinance corps."

"Before 2016, women made up just 2.5 percent of India's armed forces, working in mainly non-combat roles. As of Jan 2019, 3.89 percent of the army personnel comprised women, while 6.7 percent of the navy & 13.28 percent of the air force personnel were women as of June 2019," Rajnath Singh added.

Before 2016, women made up just 2.5 percent of India's armed forces, working in mainly non-combat roles.
As of Jan 2019, 3.89 percent of the army personnel comprised women, while 6.7 percent of the navy & 13.28 percent of the air force personnel were women as of June 2019. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 17, 2020

The top court said despite there being no stay on the 2010 Delhi High Court verdict allowing grant of permanent commission to women officers, the Centre showed scant regard in implementing the directive in the past one decade.

The SC also said that engagement of women officers in the Army has been an evolutionary process and the Union of India should have acted in accordance with the Delhi High Court judgment when there was no stay on it.