The defence ministry’s withdrawal of its appeal in the Supreme Court to oppose promotions and benefits to short service commission (SSC) officers who joined the Army before 2006 will provide relief to 978 male and 617 female retired and serving officers.
The move will lead to some financial benefits for 1,367 of these 1,595 officers who have already retired. Among the 17 male and 211 female officers who are still serving, the ones who have completed 13 years will get promotion to the rank of Lt-Colonel with all the benefits of the rank.

The MoD on Monday withdrew its appeal in the apex court against the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) decision in 2012 that had ruled in favour of the SSC and women officers commissioned before 2006.

The Ajai Vikram Singh Committee had recommended faster promotions to the rank of Lt-Colonel, and its equivalent ranks in Navy (Commander) and IAF (Wing Commander), which was accepted by the government in 2004. Under it, a Lieutenant would become a Captain after two years in service, a Major in six and Lt-Col in 13 years.

But though the promotions were applicable to all officers, the benefit was withheld from SSC and women officers on the ground that only permanent commission officers were eligible for them. But when the SSC scheme was changed from 5+5+4 years system to 10+4 years system in 2006, the benefit was also extended to officers under the new scheme.

On petitions filed by the affected women officers and SSC officers, the AFT had struck down this discriminatory practice in 2012. But both the MoD and the Army had appealed in the Supreme Court against the decision.

The fresh MoD move comes after an expert panel recommended withdrawal of the appeal, stressing that such unnecessary litigation was due to an “a self-created negative interpretation even when the scheme had been approved for all officers by the Union Cabinet”.