The central government has submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it was in the process of changing the nomenclature of the term “ex-serviceman” to a gender-neutral term.

In response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Captain Sukhjit Pal Kaur Sanewal (retired), the Centre has stated that it is committed to address the matter on priority and acknowledges the evolving social landscape and the importance of embracing gender-neutrality in the armed forces and would expeditiously implement a term which reflects “not only the ethos of the Indian subcontinent but also aligns seamlessly with global inclusivity standards”.

The officer had pointed out in her petition that while women are now an integral part of the military and are also holding command appointments after judgments to this effect by the High Courts and the Supreme Court, yet, former women personnel continued to be referred as ‘Ex-Service Man’ or ‘Ex-Service Men’ in government policies and schemes. She had sought directions that the term “ex- serviceman” should be replaced by a gender-neutral and gender-inclusive terms such as “ex-service members” or “ex-service personnel”.

“…this (“ex-serviceman”) not only results in mis-gendering but also sounds outdated and promotes gender stereotypes,” the plea further said.