Wing Commnader Pooja Thakur led the Guard of Honour during US President Barack Obama's visit to India in January 2015.
Wing commander Pooja Thakur, who shot to fame as the first woman officer to lead a ceremonial tri-service guard of honour during US President Barack Obama's visit, on Thursday, moved the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) over denial of a permanent commission by the IAF.
In January, 2015, she became the poster girl of 'naari shakti' or women power in Indian armed forces when she became the first woman to lead the guard of honour for a visiting head of state. The tribunal, while admitting her petition, asked the IAF to respond within four weeks. The 37-year-old, in her petition has called the denial "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable".
IAF sources told dna that Thakur was offered a permanent commission in 2012 which she denied and now she cannot avail any other such offer as per the procedures. Her lawyer major Sudhanshu Pandey (retired) told dna that "it was true that Thakur didn't take the offer in 2012 but it was a "temporary unwillingness". Pandey also said that it was a "procedural issue" with the IAF that Thakur is fighting for, even as the petition mentioned "discrimination".
IAF sources told dna that the accusation of discrimination doesn't hold ground. Sources said when she got commissioned after training in 2001, 11 other women officers were there in her batch, of which 10 got permanent commission later while one quit the service. Thakur, sources added, could be offered the chance only under the existing IAF rules.
Thakur, whose father also served as an officer in the Army, has been working with the IAF since 2000 and is currently posted at the headquarters here in the administrative branch. She works in the publicity cell 'Disha' under the Directorate of Personnel Officers.
The controversy over Thakur's permanent commission comes to the fore when only last month three women created history by getting inducted as first women fighter pilots in the IAF. Notably, they too are serving on a short service commission that entails employment for only 14 to 15 years whereas as permanent commissioned officers serve till the age of 60 with all the benefits. IAF allowed permanent commission to women in 2010 following a Delhi high court ruling.
Close to 350 women are currently working as permanent commissioned officers in various branches of the IAF, Indian Army and the Indian Navy. While a total of 1,436 women officers work in the Army, 1,331 are in the IAF and 532 in Navy.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "obama and pooja thakur")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}