Why should women Navy officers be sent home after 14 years, asks Delhi HC

New Delhi: Why should trained women naval officers be sent home after 14 years of service if their male counterparts can work till 60 years, the Delhi High Court has asked, saying if this was not gender discrimination, what else could be.

The court also observed that on the last Republic Day parade, "the government was proud to showcase women power, but in reality, the picture is entirely different" as women officers are still not allowed to join combat units, unlike in Israel and United States.

"No doubt, India took a major step in allowing women to apply for the Armed Forces but the country is still lagging behind many other countries in having women in command of military units," it said, adding that "it is high time that we changed our attitude towards women".

A bench of justices Kailash Gambhir and Najmi Waziri also said "these petitioners (17 women naval officers) along with the male officers had undertaken the same kind of training and served for a good 14 years or so, but were denied permanent commission (PC), while their male colleagues and batchmates were granted the permanent commission, with no special merit

in the latter's favour except for the fact that they belong to the male sex. If this isn't gender discrimination then what else could possibly be."

"After having worked for 14 long years there was no reason to deny PC to them. If for 14 years we can allow a lady to work as an officer on a particular post, earn her pay and promotions in the non-combat area (logistics), or for that matter in any other wing, why send her home after 14 years when her male counterparts can carry on up to 60 years."

In a major relief for women naval officers, the High Court had on Friday allowed a bunch of pleas seeking permanent commission for them in the force, saying "sexist bias and service bias" would not be allowed to block progress of women.

The bench also termed as "disturbing" that women were being offered permanent commission only in the Education, Law and Naval Architecture and that too, prospectively for batches commencing from 2009 on the basis of a 2008 policy decision.