सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने फाइटर पायलट की विधवा को वायु सेना में पुनः भर्ती का आदेश दिया

<p>New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said that while the Centre has framed a policy for the rehabilitation of war widows with various concessions, including reservation of seats, a class of women — like a former Short Service Commission officer whose fighter pilot husband died in a MiG crash — has been completely left out.</p> <p>A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the Union government to re-induct Priyanka Saxena, former Short Service Commission officer, into the Indian Air Force, citing the peculiar circumstances of her case. </p> <p>The court noted that her past service should have been given weightage and that her experience meant she need not undergo the full pre-commission training mandatory for other war widows inducted on academic qualifications alone.</p> <p>“This is a case of the appellant becoming eligible on both counts; her being an ex-Air Force officer, and she being a war widow of an Air Force officer,” the bench said.</p> .‘Perfect fauji wife’: Support pours in for Pahalgam victim’s widow.<p>Saxena joined the IAF at the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, in January 2002 and was commissioned on December 20, 2003. She served at the 41 Wing in Jaisalmer and later married Wing Commander Harshit Sinha on November 13, 2006. </p> <p>She continued in service after marriage, earning a Commendation by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command.</p> <p>She gave birth to her first daughter in May 2012. Citing family commitments and the need to support her fighter pilot husband, she opted not to seek extension or permanent commission and left service after her initial Short Service Commission tenure. </p> <p>Her second daughter was born in June 2016. On December 24, 2021, her husband, then Flight Commander of 51 Squadron “Sword Arms” at Srinagar, died in a MiG-21 Bison crash near Jaisalmer airfield. </p> <p>Saxena subsequently applied for reinstatement, highlighting her 10 years of prior service. The request was rejected in April 2022.</p> <p>She approached the Armed Forces Tribunal, New Delhi, seeking a review of existing policies to include women officers who had served earlier and later become widows of defence personnel. The tribunal noted that officers released after 10 or 14 years form a trained pool who could still contribute and that reinduction would help rehabilitate “Veer Naris.” </p> .HAL hands over Tejas trainers, HTT-40 to IAF; Dhruv NG helicopters to Pawan Hans.<p>The government, however, maintained that no separate policy was required and that she had crossed the maximum age of 35 fixed under a November 2017 policy letter. Her plea was rejected in July 2024.</p> <p>In her appeal, the Centre argued before the top court that she had voluntarily left after completing her SSC tenure and could not claim reinstatement under the Babita Puniya judgment. </p> <p>Age relaxation for widows, it said, applied only to pre-commission training eligibility, which did not cover her.</p> <p>The bench described her case as peculiar and not covered by existing policies. It held that her prior service as an SSC officer warranted age relaxation considerations available even to SSC officers entering civil services. </p> <p>“The appellant’s case is one of a widow of a fighter pilot who was serving in the Indian Air Force and who lost his life in an aircraft crash. The appellant is a war widow having two school-going minor daughters, and her case deserves to be considered sympathetically,” the court observed.</p> <p>Exercising powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the bench directed that her case be treated as a one-off without creating a precedent. </p> <p>As per the order, Saxena is to undergo a one-year refresher training from the next applicable course, clear medical requirements, and be reinstated as Squadron Leader in the eleventh year of service (counting prior service). She will remain a short service commissioned officer with a four-year extension as per policy. Her inter-se seniority will be fixed with her current peer group, and future consideration for permanent commission or promotion will follow applicable policies for that group.</p> <p>The court set aside the Armed Forces Tribunal’s orders and clarified that the direction was based solely on the peculiar facts of the case and would not serve as a precedent.</p>

<p>New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said that while the Centre has framed a policy for the rehabilitation of war widows with various concessions, including reservation of seats, a class of women — like a former Short Service Commission officer whose fighter pilot husband died in a MiG crash — has been completely left out.</p> <p>A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the Union government to re-induct Priyanka Saxena, former Short Service Commission officer, into the Indian Air Force, citing the peculiar circumstances of her case. </p> <p>The court noted that her past service should have been given weightage and that her experience meant she need not undergo the full pre-commission training mandatory for other war widows inducted on academic qualifications alone.</p> <p>“This is a case of the appellant becoming eligible on both counts; her being an ex-Air Force officer, and she being a war widow of an Air Force officer,” the bench said.</p> .‘Perfect fauji wife’: Support pours in for Pahalgam victim’s widow.<p>Saxena joined the IAF at the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, in January 2002 and was commissioned on December 20, 2003. She served at the 41 Wing in Jaisalmer and later married Wing Commander Harshit Sinha on November 13, 2006. </p> <p>She continued in service after marriage, earning a Commendation by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command.</p> <p>She gave birth to her first daughter in May 2012. Citing family commitments and the need to support her fighter pilot husband, she opted not to seek extension or permanent commission and left service after her initial Short Service Commission tenure. </p> <p>Her second daughter was born in June 2016. On December 24, 2021, her husband, then Flight Commander of 51 Squadron “Sword Arms” at Srinagar, died in a MiG-21 Bison crash near Jaisalmer airfield. </p> <p>Saxena subsequently applied for reinstatement, highlighting her 10 years of prior service. The request was rejected in April 2022.</p> <p>She approached the Armed Forces Tribunal, New Delhi, seeking a review of existing policies to include women officers who had served earlier and later become widows of defence personnel. The tribunal noted that officers released after 10 or 14 years form a trained pool who could still contribute and that reinduction would help rehabilitate “Veer Naris.” </p> .HAL hands over Tejas trainers, HTT-40 to IAF; Dhruv NG helicopters to Pawan Hans.<p>The government, however, maintained that no separate policy was required and that she had crossed the maximum age of 35 fixed under a November 2017 policy letter. Her plea was rejected in July 2024.</p> <p>In her appeal, the Centre argued before the top court that she had voluntarily left after completing her SSC tenure and could not claim reinstatement under the Babita Puniya judgment. </p> <p>Age relaxation for widows, it said, applied only to pre-commission training eligibility, which did not cover her.</p> <p>The bench described her case as peculiar and not covered by existing policies. It held that her prior service as an SSC officer warranted age relaxation considerations available even to SSC officers entering civil services. </p> <p>“The appellant’s case is one of a widow of a fighter pilot who was serving in the Indian Air Force and who lost his life in an aircraft crash. The appellant is a war widow having two school-going minor daughters, and her case deserves to be considered sympathetically,” the court observed.</p> <p>Exercising powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the bench directed that her case be treated as a one-off without creating a precedent. </p> <p>As per the order, Saxena is to undergo a one-year refresher training from the next applicable course, clear medical requirements, and be reinstated as Squadron Leader in the eleventh year of service (counting prior service). She will remain a short service commissioned officer with a four-year extension as per policy. Her inter-se seniority will be fixed with her current peer group, and future consideration for permanent commission or promotion will follow applicable policies for that group.</p> <p>The court set aside the Armed Forces Tribunal’s orders and clarified that the direction was based solely on the peculiar facts of the case and would not serve as a precedent.</p>

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