NEW DELHI: Taking a humanitarian approach, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre not to discharge from service the Short Service Commission (SSC) women Army officers, challenging the denial of permanent commission (PC) to them, asking not to “bring their morale down” in “the prevailing situation”.

“In the prevailing situation let’s not bring their (Short Service Commission women Army officers) morale down. They are brilliant officers, you can use their services somewhere else. This is not the time that they are asked to roam around in the Supreme Court. They have a better place to be and serve the country,” said, a two-judge bench of the apex court,

The court, which was hearing a batch of pleas filed by 69 officers challenging the denial of PC , fixed the matter for further hearing to August.

During the course of the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati defended the Union’s decision to deny PC to these women officers. Requesting the court not to stay their release, she clarified that only 250 personnel are granted PC annually. She also submitted that it was an administrative measure based on policy designed to maintain youthful profile within the forces.

Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing Colonel Geeta Sharma, highlighted the case of Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who has recently briefed the media following Operation Sindoor conducted on May 7-8. Guruswamy submitted that Qureshi had also approached the court seeking PC. “Recently, she has since brought honour the country,” she added.

The apex court had, on February 17, 2020, held that blanket exclusion of women from all but staff appointments in the Army was indefensible. “Denying women SSC officers consideration for command roles without justification could not be upheld under the law,” the apex court had said.