25th MARCH 2026 ENGLISH TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF TNPSC SHOUTERS
No Discrimination Against Women in Armed Forces - Supreme Court Verdict
- In the Armed Forces, officers appointed under the Permanent Commission are predominantly men. Consequently, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court highlighting that female officers were being denied permanent tenure and pension benefits.
- This case came up for hearing before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Surya Kant. During the proceedings, the judges observed that male officers cannot expect permanent positions within the Army to be their exclusive domain.
- The judges stated that the denial of permanent tenure to female officers was a direct result of the systemic discrimination that had permeated the evaluation process. They ruled that female officers deemed eligible for permanent tenure shall be considered to have completed 20 years of qualifying service.
- The judges further ordered that this would entitle them to pension benefits and all other associated emoluments, adding that this directive would also apply to those who had previously been declared ineligible.
- Furthermore, the judges struck down the cap limiting permanent commissions to a maximum of 250 women per year, declaring the restriction to be arbitrary and unlawful. This order was issued by the Court in exercise of the powers vested in it under Article 142 of the Constitution.
