HC asks def forces to consider permanent commission for women

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) The defence forces were today asked by the Delhi High Court to consider granting permanent commission to female officers on par with their male counterpart."This issue needs consideration at the highest level," a Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said while asking the chiefs of defence services to sit together to address the issue of gender-bias.The Bench, also comprising Justice Mool Chand Garg, passed the order on a bunch of petitions filed by female officers seeking direction to the Centre to stop alleged discrimination against them in the matter of grant of permanent commission.The petitioners contended that unlike their male counterpart, they were not granted permanent commission and were forced to retire after 10 years of service despite being fit for the job."The action of the Centre and defence forces is wholly illegal, unjust, and discriminatory and runs counter to the concept of equality enshrined in the constitution," advocate Rekha Palli, appearing for a female officer Babita Puniya, contended."Female officers cannot be discriminated by declining to grant them permanent commission and by releasing them from service after just 10 years when they are physically fit," she said. PTIwww.ptinews.com