Can women serve in combat roles?

Yes, but the extent varies by service: Air Force: Women serve in all combat roles, including as fighter pilots; this was formalised as a permanent scheme in 2022. Navy: Women are deployed onboard warships and serve as pilots in maritime reconnaissance and helicopter units. Army: While women serve in combat-support arms like Artillery (since 2023) and Army Aviation, they are currently still excluded from direct ground combat roles in the Infantry and Armoured Corps.

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Why In News?

Q: What is the current status of Permanent Commission (PC) for women?

As of March 2026, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the right of women officers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force to receive Permanent Commission. This allows them to serve a full career until retirement with complete pensionary benefits, correcting decades of "systemic bias" that previously restricted most women to the 10–14 year Short Service Commission (SSC).

Q: Can women join the "Agniveer" scheme?

The Agnipath scheme is gender-neutral. The Navy was the first to leverage this for women's recruitment, followed by the Air Force (Agniveer Vayu) and the Army. Women now serve in "Other Ranks" (Personnel Below Officer Rank) as Agniveers across all three services.

The Supreme Court invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to grant full pensionary benefits to women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Highlights of the Supreme Court verdict

A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) ruled that women officers who were denied Permanent Commission due to arbitrary assessment criteria will be "deemed to have completed 20 years of service."

The "Deemed" Fiction: Even if these officers were released after 10 or 14 years of service, the law will treat them as having served the mandatory 20 years required to qualify for a full pension.
One-Time Measure: The Court clarified this is a "one-time measure" to do complete justice for officers considered in Selection Boards between 2019 and 2021.
Financial Relief:

Pension Fixation: Calculated based on the deemed completion of 20 years.
Arrears: Payable with effect from January 1, 2025.
Reinstatement: The Court declined to order the reinstatement of released officers back into service, citing "operational effectiveness" and the complexities of reintegrating officers after a long gap.

Constitutional Principles Involved in The Judgement

Article 142: Empowers the court to pass any order necessary for doing "complete justice" in any cause pending before it.

This allowed them to bypass strict service rules (requiring actual 20 years of service) to grant the pension.

Substantive Equality: The judgment reiterates that true equality isn't just "treating everyone the same" (formal equality) but accounting for historical disadvantages to ensure equal outcomes.

Indirect Discrimination: As established in the Lt. Col. Nitisha case (2021), criteria that appear neutral but disproportionately harm a specific group (women) constitute indirect discrimination.

Timeline: The Legal Battle for Parity

Year	Case/Event	Significance
2020	Babita Puniya vs Union of India	SC directs the government to grant Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers in the Army.
2021	Lt. Col. Nitisha vs Union of India	SC strikes down the Army’s medical and evaluation criteria for PC as "arbitrary" and "indirectly discriminatory."
2026	Wg Cdr Sucheta Edan / Lt Col Pooja Pal	SC grants full pension to those denied PC earlier due to the flawed criteria identified in 2021 (Source: Supreme Court of India).

Conclusion

The judgment is a watershed moment that acknowledges "institutional culpability" in the stagnation of women's careers. It moves beyond the rhetoric of "Nari Shakti" to provide tangible financial rights, establishing that the state cannot benefit from its own history of discrimination.

Source: INDIANEXPRESS

Attempt Daily Quiz

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. With reference to the 'Agnipath' scheme for recruitment in the Indian Armed Forces, consider the following statements:

It is the exclusive mode of recruitment for Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Upon completion of the four-year tenure, 100% of the 'Agniveers' are transitioned into the regular cadre based on merit and operational requirements.
The scheme is open to women candidates in all three branches of the Armed Forces.
Agniveers are entitled to receive a tax-free 'Seva Nidhi' package and gratuity payments at the end of their engagement period.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 1 and 3 only

C) 2 and 4 only

D) 1, 3, and 4 only

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Since its launch in June 2022, the Agnipath scheme is the exclusive mode of recruitment for Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. It replaced the previous permanent recruitment models for these ranks.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Upon completion of the four-year tenure, only up to 25% of each batch of Agniveers are enrolled into the regular cadre of the Armed Forces as permanent soldiers. This selection is based on merit, performance during the four years, and organizational requirements.

Statement 3 is correct: The Agnipath scheme is gender-neutral and open to women candidates in all three branches. The Indian Navy and Air Force inducted women Agniveers from the first batches, and the Indian Army has also opened various corps (such as the Corps of Military Police) to women under this scheme.

Statement 4 is incorrect: While Agniveers are entitled to a tax-free 'Seva Nidhi' package (composed of their contributions plus matching government contributions and interest), they are not entitled to gratuity or pensionary benefits. Gratuity is reserved for permanent soldiers who complete a minimum qualifying service period, which does not apply to the four-year Agnipath tenure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As of March 2026, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the right of women officers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force to receive Permanent Commission. This allows them to serve a full career until retirement with complete pensionary benefits, correcting decades of "systemic bias" that previously restricted most women to the 10–14 year Short Service Commission (SSC).

Yes, but the extent varies by service:

Air Force: Women serve in all combat roles, including as fighter pilots; this was formalised as a permanent scheme in 2022.
Navy: Women are deployed onboard warships and serve as pilots in maritime reconnaissance and helicopter units.
Army: While women serve in combat-support arms like Artillery (since 2023) and Army Aviation, they are currently still excluded from direct ground combat roles in the Infantry and Armoured Corps.

The Agnipath scheme is gender-neutral. The Navy was the first to leverage this for women's recruitment, followed by the Air Force (Agniveer Vayu) and the Army. Women now serve in "Other Ranks" (Personnel Below Officer Rank) as Agniveers across all three services.