Defence Minister of India directs withdrawal of appeals from the Supreme Court against promotional benefits granted by courts to a category of officers

In a morale boosting move and a landmark step to withdraw unnecessary litigation from the Courts, the Defence Minister, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman, has directed the withdrawal of appeals filed by the Ministry of Defence against judicial verdicts favouring officers commissioned under the Short Service Commissioned and Women Entry Schemes, who entered service prior to the year 2006, and who were not granted the promotional benefits of a new cadre restructuring policy on the ground of a self created internal negative interpretation.

A Committee of Experts in its report submitted in 2015, had come down heavily upon the establishment for filing the said appeals in the Supreme Court.

The interesting part of the whole case was that while the Navy and the Air Force had granted similar benefits to their own officers emanating out of the same policy, the Army had withheld the same.

The Week reports the issue in greater detail.