IAF Officer Pooja Thakur didn’t initially opt for Permanent commission

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 14, 2016: Indian Air Force’s decision to deny Permanent Commission to Wing Commander Pooja Thakur has taken another interesting turn. According to senior IAF officials, there were 12 women officers in Wing Commander Pooja’s batch and 10 of them opted for Permanent Commission.

All the 10 other officers were granted Permanent Commission. Wing Commander Pooja and one another officer did not opt for Permanent Commission.

She retired in June 2016. But two weeks before her release she sought Permanent Commission from the IAF which could not be granted. She is currently undergoing pre-release course at MDI Gurgaon which is funded partly by IAF.

She has moved court after the IAF denied Permanent Commission to her. In her petition, she has termed the IAF’s decision as "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable".

The Armed Forces Tribunal has admitted her plea and asked the IAF to respond in four weeks.

She was in the limelight after she became the first lady officer to lead the Inter-Service Guard of Honour which was inspected by US President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan in January 2015.

She joined the IAF in 2000 and belongs to the administrative branch. Her father served in the Army and retired as a Colonel.

She was commissioned into the IAF in 2001. In 2014, she was offered Permanent Commission but she refused to accept it at that point of time citing personal reasons as her mother-in-law and suffering from cancer.