The Supreme Court has sharply criticized the Indian Army for failing to consider a Short Service Commission (SSC) officer for permanent commission, highlighting the negative impact of such attitudes on military recruitment. The bench, consisting of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Kotishwar Singh, will hear the case again on February 4.
During the hearing, the court expressed frustration over the Army’s handling of the case, suggesting that the service’s mentality discourages people from joining the forces. Justice Surya Kant remarked, “We know how these things work. If you salute them day and night, everything is fine. But as soon as you stop, they turn against you.”
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The case at hand involves Major Ravinder Singh, who filed a petition after being denied consideration for permanent commission. Singh’s lawyer argued that following his appeal to the Armed Forces Tribunal, his Annual Confidential Report (ACR) was downgraded. However, the petitioner had received excellent marks in his ACR for most of his 10 years of service.
In response, Justice Surya Kant questioned the Army’s conduct, telling the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) representing the military, “When he wanted to leave the service, you didn’t let him. When he applied for permanent commission, you ignored it. If you treat officers this way, why would anyone want to join the Army?”
The ASG explained that a selection board had reviewed 183 officers for permanent commission, with 103 selected. However, Major Singh only scored 58 marks, below the 80-mark cutoff required, which led to his exclusion from the permanent commission process.
This criticism follows previous disapproval from the Court over the Army’s treatment of women officers. The Court had expressed concern over the military’s efforts to deny women officers their rightful status, stressing that such attitudes undermine justice for those who have fought tirelessly for their rights.
As the case continues, all eyes are now on the next hearing scheduled for February 4, when the Supreme Court is expected to delve deeper into these contentious issues.
