Women Lieutenant Colonels of the Army Ordnance Corps and the Army Service Corps can now take their Permanent Commission career progression dispute to the Armed Forces Tribunal, with the Supreme Court leaving the challenge itself undecided.
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New Delhi: Granting liberty to women officers of the Army Ordnance Corps and the Army Service Corps to approach the Armed Forces Tribunal, the Supreme Court on Monday disposed of their petition. The officers belong to the 2008 and 2000 batches and now hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and the policy provisions they wish to challenge govern their career progression. [Women Officers of Army Ordnance Corps and Army Service Corps v. Union of India]
The available account of the hearing does not state which Bench passed the order.
Liberty, Not A Ruling
The petition was disposed of without a decision on its merits. What the officers received is liberty to go before the Armed Forces Tribunal, where both the challenge to the policy provisions and the reliefs that follow from it can be raised.
Paragraphs 11 And 12 Under Challenge
In the petition, the officers took issue with Paragraphs 11 and 12 of the Career Progression Policy, which deal with the grant of Permanent Commission to women officers. They also asked for consequential directions on their career progression and promotion prospects.
What The Order Leaves Open
A service-policy dispute over women officers’ career progression now moves to the specialised tribunal for armed forces personnel. The Supreme Court has taken no view on whether the challenged paragraphs are valid and has expressed no opinion on the merits of the petitioners’ contentions.
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Case Details: Women Officers of Army Ordnance Corps and Army Service Corps v. Union of India (title as described, not verified) | Court: Supreme Court of India | Date of Order: October 12, 2026 | Case number, Bench and appearances not reported.