Whereas ruling in favour of granting Everlasting Fee (PC) to ladies officers within the Indian Military, the Supreme Courtroom in 2020 had acknowledged the achievements of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, one of many two ladies officers who briefed the media on ‘Operation Sindoor‘ on Wednesday (Might 7, 2025).
In its February 17, 2020, judgment, the Supreme Courtroom stated that absolute exclusion of girls from all positions, besides employees assignments, within the Military was indefensible, and their blanket non-consideration for command appointments with none justification can’t be sustained in legislation.
The Supreme Courtroom, which allowed Everlasting Fee to ladies officers within the Military, stated an absolute prohibition of girls Quick Service Fee (SSC) officers to acquire something however employees appointments evidently didn’t fulfil the aim of granting PC as a way of profession development within the Military.
The highest courtroom additionally referred to the distinctions achieved by ladies officers and put out an instance of Col. Qureshi’s achievements.
“Lieutenant Colonel Sofiya Qureshi (Army Signal Corps) is the first woman to lead an Indian Army contingent at a multi-national military exercise named ‘Exercise Force 18’, which is the largest ever foreign military exercise hosted by India. She has served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operation in Congo in 2006, where she, along with others, was in charge of monitoring ceasefires in those countries and aiding in humanitarian activities. Her job included ensuring peace in the conflict affected areas,” the Supreme Courtroom had stated.
Being attentive to the Centre’s affidavit within the matter, the courtroom had stated that the counter affidavit contained an in depth elaboration of the service rendered by ladies SSC officers to the reason for the nation, working shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts.
“Yet, that role is sought to be diluted by the repeated pleas made before this court that women, by the nature of their biological composition and social milieu, have a less important role to play than their male counterparts. Such a line of submission is disturbing as it ignores the solemn constitutional values which every institution in the nation is bound to uphold and facilitate. Women officers of the Indian Army have brought laurels to the force,” the Supreme Courtroom had stated.
In the course of the media briefing on Might 7, 2025, Col. Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Drive (IAF) flanked International Secretary Vikram Misri on the dais, who delivered the opening assertion from the federal government.
The briefing got here hours after the Indian armed forces, beneath ‘Operation Sindoor’, carried out missile strikes on 9 terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam assault.
Born in Gujarat’s Vadodara in 1974, Col. Qureshi graduated with a Grasp’s in biochemistry from the Manonmaniam Sundaranar College in 1997.
An officer within the important Corps of Indicators, previously, she had been picked for the position of a navy observer in Congo in 2006, apart from being a part of flood reduction operations within the Northeast area.
The officer broke the glass ceiling when in 2016, she turned the primary feminine officer to steer its contingent on the multi-national discipline coaching train, Train Drive 18, hosted by India for interoperability in sustaining peace among the many ASEAN nations.
Revealed – Might 08, 2025 01:45 pm IST
