Denial of colonel rank to women officers arbitrary: Top court

New Delhi, November 3

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The Supreme Court said on Friday the Army’s approach of denying women officers empanelment as colonel was “arbitrary”, and directed the authorities to reconvene the special selection board within a fortnight for their promotion.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud deplored the attitude to find a way to end the just entitlements of women officers.

“Such an approach does a disservice to the need to provide justice to the women officers who have fought a long and hard battle to receive just entitlements.

“The manner in which the cut-off has been applied for reckoning the CRs for women officers for empanelment as colonels is arbitrary because it is contrary to the policy circular of Army and judgement of this court,” the Bench said.

The apex court said the policy framework set out makes it clear that all Confidential Reports (CR) after nine years of service were required to be taken into consideration. It said a cut-off was applied arbitrarily in the present case to equate the women officers with their male counterparts.

The top court also rejected the submission that there was an inadequate number of vacancies for accommodating the officers.