Delhi High Court Halts Discharge of Women IAF Officers Amid Permanent Commission Legal Battle

The Delhi High Court has issued a stay on the discharge of several Women Short Service Commission officers from the Indian Air Force, providing them with temporary relief as they contest the denial of Permanent Commission.

In a session held on Monday, the High Court instructed that these officers remain in service until their case is addressed by the roster bench, which is set to review the matter on 1 July 2026.

The officers have filed a legal challenge against the Indian Air Force, arguing that their discharge orders were given despite prior interim protection from the Supreme Court.

During the proceedings, the petitioners' counsel asserted that the Air Force acted prematurely by issuing discharge orders while both the Delhi High Court and the Armed Forces Tribunal were on recess, noting that the orders dated 3 June were delivered before the tribunal could consider their applications.

The High Court questioned the timing of the petitions, to which the officers' counsel responded by explaining that they initially approached the Armed Forces Tribunal in line with the Supreme Court's guidance. When the tribunal could not address the issue before the discharge orders, they sought intervention from the High Court.

The petitioners argued that the Supreme Court previously provided them with protection from discharge while they pursued legal remedies through the Armed Forces Tribunal or the High Court. They claim the Supreme Court's final judgment allowed for continued interim protection against discharge pending the resolution of legal proceedings.

The officers further argued they are in a distinct category from those whose Permanent Commission applications were declined in 2021. One officer stated that although she was commissioned in 2013, her request for Permanent Commission was only considered in 2023, at which point it was denied.

The petition not only contests their discharge orders but also questions certain aspects of the Indian Air Force's 2019 Human Resource Policy concerning the granting of Permanent Commission to women SSC officers.

The Delhi High Court is set to conduct a hearing on 1 July, where it will examine the officers' challenge to the denial of Permanent Commission and the legality of their discharge from service.