SC once slammed Modi govt for terming women officers 'physiologically unfit'; now India projects them as military icons

The Modi government, which recently highlighted two women officers — Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force — as faces of its military campaign during the recent strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, had itself once argued against the eligibility of women for permanent roles in the armed forces.

In a first, the government fielded Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh — both representing different religious identities — to jointly address the nation, a move widely seen as symbolic and strategic following the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly Hindu men.

The military operation was titled "Operation Sindoor", a name that drew both praise and criticism for reinforcing patriarchal and cultural stereotypes, The Wire reports.

However, in stark contrast to this public positioning, just a few years earlier the same government had submitted a note to the Supreme Court claiming women were "physiologically unfit" for permanent commission in the armed forces, citing concerns such as motherhood, family obligations, and physical strength.

On 17 February 2020, the SC came down heavily on the Centre's arguments, describing them as discriminatory and rooted in gender stereotypes. The court ordered the government to grant Permanent Commission to women officers, upholding a 2010 Delhi High Court ruling.

"Arguments by the Centre founded on physical strength of men and women and grounds of motherhood, family etc. violate equality… To cast aspersions on ability of women and their role and achievements in Army is an insult not only to women but also to the Indian Army," the judgment read.

Justice DY Chandrachud, who led the bench, said: "Even if women are less fit for combat roles, these constitute only a small portion of military duties. Permanent Commission can certainly be extended in non-combat areas. Two things are required to rid any form of gender discrimination – administrative will and change in mindset."

Justice Chandrachud's remarks highlighted the outstanding service records of several Short Service Commission (SSC) officers. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi's name was the first among twelve women cited for exemplary service. As an officer of the Army Signal Corps, she was the first woman to lead an Indian Army contingent in the multinational "Exercise Force 18", the largest foreign military exercise hosted by India. She had also served in the UN Peacekeeping Operation in Congo in 2006, where she worked on ceasefire monitoring and humanitarian efforts.

Despite the 2020 ruling, the path to full recognition for many women officers remained obstructed. In October that year, two officers approached the court after being disqualified from permanent commission on medical grounds.

A bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra, and Indira Banerjee criticised the Army's standards, saying, "It would be a travesty of justice to seek fitness levels of a 30-year-old male officer from a 50-year-old woman officer." The court noted a disconnect between the progressive stance of the top leadership and the conservatism entrenched in military bureaucracy.

"There is a difference of thinking in the level of top leaders and the thinking in the Army bureaucracy. We have to bridge the chasm," the bench observed, directing the Solicitor General to work with Army officials to arrive at a resolution and avoid what it described as the court "ramming it down the throat."

While Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is now projected as a symbol of military excellence and unity, her journey reflects a prolonged legal and institutional struggle for recognition — one that the Supreme Court firmly supported in the face of systemic resistance.