The Supreme Court recently questioned the Centre for its opposition to the grant of permanent commission (PC) to a woman Short Service Appointment (SSA) officer engaged with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra allowed the petitioner, Priyanka Tyagi, to continue in service as a general duty officer. The bench further proceeded to transfer similar petitions from the Delhi High Court to itself. The court noted that the Indian Coast Guard unfortunately continues to remain an outlier in terms of compliance with directions to grant permanent commission to women officers.
Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Vikramjit Banerjee said that the instant petitioner got the benefit because she could approach the top court, adding that there will be others on the shortlist. Responding, the court said that they have to be flag bearers and march with the nation.
The court mentioned that earlier women could not join the bar or be fighter pilots, but now they can. Subsequently, the ASG said that someone cannot steal the march over the other as others are there similarly-placed. The Chief Justice asked the counsel to look at the resistance to a woman joining the Coast Guard.
Earlier in February, the apex court slammed the Centre for denying permanent commission to Priyanka Tyagi. The bench had underlined that the Coast Guard could not fall out of line when the Army and the Navy was granting permanent commission to women officers.The observation was made when ASG Banerjee, appearing for the Centre, had argued that the Coast Guard operates in a different domain compared to the Army and Navy.
Previously, the Supreme Court in its 2020 judgment in Babita Punia, had held that women Short Service Commission officers are entitled to Permanent Commission at par with their male counterparts.