Army Chief Hails SC Order on Permanent Commission to Women in Armed Forces, Says it Will Bring Clarity

New Delhi: Army Chief General M M Narvane on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court’s verdict that awarded permanent commission and command to women in the armed forces.

Narvane, who is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) said the verdict brings out a sense of clarity and purpose to gainfully employ officers for better efficiency of the organisation.

"The Supreme Court's decision is a welcome one as it brings out a sense of clarity and purpose to gainfully employ officers for better efficiency of the organisation.

I must assure that everybody in the Indian Army including women officers will be given equal opportunity to contribute to the nation as also progress in their careers," General Naravane told journalists while welcoming the Supreme Court’s historic decision.

Naravane also said that the Indian Army does not discriminate any soldier based on their religion, caste, creed, of even gender.

"Indian Army does not discriminate any soldier based on religion, caste, creed, or even gender. The outlook of the Indian Army has been throughout like this and that is why we started inducting women officers as early as in 1993," he said.

Indian Army has taken the initiative to induct women in rank and file, and the first batch of 100 women soldiers is undergoing training at Corps of Military Police Centre and School, he added.

Letters are being sent to women officers asking “whether they will prefer permanent commissioning,” the Army chief said.

The Army Chief also spoke on a number of issues, including Pakistan’s position at the ongoing Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary, stating, “Pakistan may have to rethink strategy as even China realised they cannot back their all-weather friend all the time.”

A sub-group of the global terror financing watchdog FATF on Tuesday recommended continuation of Pakistan in the 'Grey List' for its failure to check terror funding.

Speaking on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Gen Naravane said terror incidents have seen a downturn and the Army is maintaining pressure on terror groups.