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Supreme Court of India 2026-03-24 partly_allowed

Lt. Col. Pooja Pal and Ors vs Union of India and Ors

Bench: 3 — Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh

In Brief

Women officers in the Indian Army challenged policies that denied them equal consideration for permanent commission and command roles despite being eligible. The Supreme Court held that systematic barriers—including biased assessment reports written when women were ineligible for career progression, exclusion from key postings and courses, and an outdated vacancy cap of 250 per year—violated constitutional equality. The Court directed that released women officers be deemed to have completed 20 years' service for pension purposes, and those meeting merit cut-offs be granted permanent commission. The decision affirms merit-based evaluation without gender discrimination.

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Constitutional Law Gender Equality Public Employment Armed Forces Military Service Conditions Discrimination Equal Opportunity Administrative Law Judicial Review Permanent Commission

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