New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday suspended the Delhi High Court order which directed the Navy to give permanent commission to all women officers serving the marine force as short service commission officers.

An apex court bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice V. Gopala Gowda said that officers on whose plea the high court issued the order and who were in service in September 2008 when the navy extended the permanent commission to its short service commission women officers will continue to serve with the same terms and conditions.

The apex court order came as Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told it that the high court had erroneously held it as a case of gender discrimination, overlooking the fact that in the navy neither men nor women – who are commissioned under short service category – can be given permanent commission.

(Inputs from IANS)