‘Don’t hit morale’: Not the time to release SSC officers, SC tells Army

NEW DELHI: Given the evolving conflict situation since the launch of 'Operation Sindoor' by India against Pakistan in response to the killing of 26 tourists at Pahalgam, Supreme Court on Friday told the Centre that the time is not right for the discharge of 69 short service commission officers (SSCOs), including 47 women."In the prevailing situation, let us not bring their morale down.They are brilliant officers. Their services can be used somewhere else. This is not the time to force them to roam the corridors of the Supreme Court. They can be somewhere else to serve the country," said a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh.Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati said it is an administrative decision to discharge SSCOs who, after completing 14 years of service, are not found fit for permanent commission (PC). "This is based on a policy to keep the armed forces young," she said.Appearing for Lt Col Geeta Sharma, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy said the administrative decision could not be discriminatory and that when there are vacancies in PC officers' posts, there is no reason why SSCOs like Sharma are not granted PC. Guruswamy cited the example of Col Sofiya Qureshi, who fought a legal battle to get PC and is now seen briefing the media about the Operation Sindoor.The bench said the question before the court is purely a legal one and has nothing to do with individual officers. However, it stayed the discharge of SSCOs till Aug 6-7, when the court would hear the petitioners and the govt in detail.Bhati informed the court that Sharma, commissioned in the Corps of Signals in March 2011, was considered for permanent commission in Dec 2020 and was found fit for four-year extension of service.For her batch of 204 SSCOs, 77 technical and 127 non-technical, there were 119 vacancies of permanent commission. PC was granted to 118 SSCOs, and a four-year extension to 56 others. In all, 30 batchmates of Sharma were released from service from March 18. However, the release of eight female SSCOs has been stayed. SC in its Feb 2020 judgment had ordered that women are entitled to PC and command positions in armed forces.