The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Indian Army to set its “house in order”, noting that it had not been fair to women officers who have alleged that they were not being considered for promotions, PTI reported.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha made the comment while hearing a petition filed by 34 women Army officers. The petitioners claimed that junior male officers were being considered over them for promotions to carry out “combat and commanding roles”.

The court directed the Army not to declare the results for male officers who had been considered for promotions in October till it announces the results for the female officers.

“We feel that you (Army) have not been fair to these women officers,” the court said. “You better set your house in order and tell us what you are doing for them.”

The bench directed Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, who represented the Centre, and Senior Advocate R Balasubramanian, the Army, to state why the petitioners had not been considered from promotions in October.

Jain told the court that measures would be taken to accommodate the promotion of women officers, India Today reported. “We are committed to the cause of women officers,” he said.

Senior advocate V Mohana, appearing for the petitioners, said that since the Supreme Court judgement that directed the Army to grant permanent commission to women, about 1,200 junior male officers had been promoted.

In a landmark verdict in February 2020, the Supreme Court had directed that women officers in the Army be granted permanent commission. The court had rejected the Centre’s stand of their physiological limitations as being based on “stereotypes” and “gender discrimination against women”.

The Army had constituted a special selection board in September 2020 to screen women officers. The results were declared a month later. After this, some women who were not granted a permanent commission had moved the Supreme Court.

In response to their petition, the Supreme Court had held that the evaluation criteria for granting permanent commission to women officers systematically discriminated against them. The court had also ordered a review of the method of evaluation for future batches.