NEW DELHI: As India remains on high alert following the launch of Operation Sindoor—a military response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists—the Supreme Court put a temporary hold on the discharge of 69 Short Service Commission Officers (SSCOs), including 47 women. “This Is Not the Time,” Says Supreme Court A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh urged the government to defer the officers’ release in light of the current national security situation. “In the prevailing situation, let us not bring their morale down. They are brilliant officers. Their services can be used somewhere else. This is not the time to force them to roam the corridors of the Supreme Court. They can be somewhere else to serve the country,” said the bench. The court emphasized that the officers’ contributions could be better utilized in service rather than in legal battles. The government, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, argued that the discharge was based on policy. SSCOs who complete 14 years of service and are not selected for Permanent Commission (PC) are released to maintain a younger force. “This is based on a policy to keep the armed forces young,” Bhati stated. Appearing for Lt Col Geeta Sharma, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy pushed back against the government’s stance. She argued that Sharma and other officers deserved a fair chance at permanent roles, especially when PC vacancies exist. Guruswamy cited Col Sofiya Qureshi, who secured PC through legal action and is now actively involved in Operation Sindoor, even briefing the media. Lt Col Sharma was commissioned into the Corps of Signals in March 2011 and was considered for PC in December 2020. Though found fit for a four-year extension, her future remains uncertain. From her batch of 204 SSCOs (77 technical, 127 nontechnical), 118 were granted PC, 56 got extensions, and 30 have been released since March 18, 2025. The release of eight women officers has been stayed by the Court. The court clarified that the issue at hand is not individual but legal. However, in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that women officers in the armed forces are entitled to both permanent commission and command positions, strengthening the current petitioners’ case. The Court has stayed the discharge of these officers until August 6–7, when it will hear detailed arguments from both the government and petitioners. The outcome could have lasting implications for military personnel policies, especially those affecting women officers and longserving SSCOs.