Supreme Court: Women Military Officers Entitled to Permanent Commission

• Supreme Court ruled that women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers are entitled to Permanent Commission, slamming systemic bias.
• Invoking Article 142, the court found denial of Permanent Commission to be discriminatory and rooted in the evaluation framework.
• The bench, including Chief Justice Surya Kant, deemed the 250-women-officer ceiling for Permanent Commission arbitrary.
• The verdict addresses structural inequalities, noting flaws in Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) and assessment processes that disadvantaged women.
• Court directed affected women officers to be deemed to have completed 20 years of service for retiral benefits, but without notional promotions.