Who is Wing Commander Namrita Chandi? How did she win pension battle 15 years after retiring from Indian Air Force?
Retired Wing Commander Namrita Chandi, a Short Service Commission (SSC) officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF), spent years fighting a legal battle over the denial of Permanent Commission and the retirement benefits that followed.
Although she had approached the authorities for Permanent Commission before completing her initial service tenure, her request was turned down, and she eventually retired in 2011. Her fight continued through the courts, with the case passing from the Delhi High Court to the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) and eventually reaching the Supreme Court.
The case did not end with the initial legal victory. Chandi also had to pursue the retirement benefits linked to her claim, particularly her eligibility for pension after completing the qualifying period of service.
As reported by The Tribune, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Chandimandir (Panchkula), has now modified its earlier order in her case, bringing a long-running dispute over her service and pension entitlement to another significant stage.
The ruling comes nearly 15 years after Chandi retired from the Indian Air Force in 2011, following a prolonged legal battle over the denial of Permanent Commission.
Namrita Chandi was commissioned into the Indian Air Force under the Short Service Commission in 1996. An SSC is a fixed-tenure commission that allows officers to serve in the armed forces for a specified period, unlike Permanent Commission, which offers a longer career in service.
Chandi was initially appointed for 10 years. Before completing that tenure, she sought Permanent Commission. However, her request was rejected on the grounds that the applicable provisions did not allow SSC officers in the flying branch to be granted Permanent Commission. Instead, she received a five-year extension and subsequently retired in 2011.
Chandi challenged the decision by filing a writ petition before the Delhi High Court in 2011. A writ petition is a legal remedy through which a person can seek judicial intervention against an alleged violation of their rights.
The matter was transferred to the AFT's Principal Bench in 2014. In 2015, the tribunal allowed her petition along with several other cases, relying on the Delhi High Court's judgment in Babita Puniya and Others vs The Secretary and Another.
The Union government subsequently challenged the decision before the Supreme Court. However, its appeal was dismissed in 2019.
Following this, the Air Force informed Chandi, in response to her legal notice, that the competent authority would consider her suitability for Permanent Commission. An independent board of officers was constituted, and she was asked to undergo a medical examination on July 22, 2020, if she was willing to accept the offer.
Chandi objected to being assessed under the Permanent Commission policies of 2004 and 2010, arguing that she had already been out of service for nine years.
The subsequent proceedings focused on the pensionary benefits arising from her earlier legal battle over Permanent Commission. Chandi's counsel, Sandeep Bansal, argued that she should receive pension and other retirement benefits available to officers completing 20 years of pensionable service.
He sought modification of the AFT's 2015 judgment, relying on the Supreme Court's decisions in Babita Puniya and Lt Cdr Annie Nagaraja and Others.
The tribunal, comprising Justice Sudhir Mittal and Lt Gen (Dr) Ranbir Singh (retd), referred to the Supreme Court's directions concerning women SSC officers who had been denied Permanent Commission.
It noted that officers who had retired were entitled to reinstatement and consequential benefits, except salary and allowances for the period they were not in service. It also referred to the Annie Nagaraja judgment, which provided for women officers no longer in service to be deemed to have completed substantive pensionable service.
Modifying its 2015 judgment, the AFT directed that Chandi be treated as having completed 20 years of pensionable service. She will receive pension from the day following the date on which she completed 20 years of service, along with other applicable retirement benefits. Importantly, the latest order recognises her 20 years of service for pension purposes.
Sheetal Goel is a Content Producer at Livemint, where she covers corporate developments, personal finance, business trends, markets, and SEBI-related updates. She focuses on simplifying complex financial concepts and presenting them in a clear, reader-friendly manner, thereby helping audiences better understand investment trends, personal finance, and market developments. Her writing focuses on making finance more accessible to everyday readers while maintaining clarity, accuracy, and relevance. <br><br> She holds a degree in Economics (Hons.) along with an MBA in Finance, which has helped her develop a strong foundation in financial analysis, market understanding, and business reporting. Before joining journalism, she worked with finance and broking firms, where she closely followed market developments, investment strategies, and evolving industry trends. This practical exposure strengthened her understanding of financial markets. She has also written content across multiple formats and platforms, including YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. <br><br> Over time, she has developed expertise in covering market-linked stories, investor-focused topics, and regulatory updates in a simplified yet informative style. She also enjoys reading and listening to Hindi poetry, reflecting her appreciation for literature and creative expression beyond the world of markets and numbers.
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HomeMoneyPersonal FinanceWho is Wing Commander Namrita Chandi? How did she win pension battle 15 years after retiring from Indian Air Force?
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