The Supreme Court has ruled that short-service commission women officers (SSCWO) in India's defence forces will receive pension benefits as a one-time measure.
The court's decision came after it found that the denial of permanent commission (PC) to SSCWOs was due to unfair evaluations and skewed appraisals.
The court ordered that SSCWOs who have been released from service will be deemed to have completed 20 years of service and will be entitled to pension and consequential benefits, except arrears of pay.
The court also clarified that pension shall be fixed on the basis of the date of completion of the 'deemed service' of 20 years, and SSCWOs shall be paid pension only with effect from January 1, 2025.
The court's decision applies to SSCWOs in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, but excludes those in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps (AEC) cadres, as well as those inducted into the Navy after January 2009.
The court's order came in separate batches of petitions filed by Army, Navy, and Air Force SSCWOs who belonged to the 2010 and 2011 batches and were considered for PC in the Selection Boards conducted in 2020 and 2021.
