Ranchi/New Delhi, Mar 31: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a new 24-member state team of office bearers in Jharkhand, increasing women’s representation while maintaining regional and social balance, party leaders said.
The team, constituted by Jharkhand BJP chief Aditya Sahu and approved by the central leadership, includes nine vice-presidents, three general secretaries and nine secretaries.
State media in-charge Shivpujan Pathak said, “The list includes nine vice-presidents, three general secretaries and nine secretaries.” He added that Deepak Banka has been appointed treasurer while Hemant Das has been named secretary (office), with both नेताओं securing a third consecutive term.
A key highlight of the new team is the inclusion of five women, up from two in the previous lineup. Former parliamentarians Geeta Kora and Abha Mahto have been appointed vice-presidents, while Sunita Singh, Krishna Mahto and Shalini Vaiskhiyar have been named secretaries.
Party leaders said the reshuffle reflects an effort to enhance women’s participation and maintain social and regional balance. “The entry of five women in the list is the highlight of the exercise,” a leader said, adding that 13 of the 24 office bearers have been retained.
Regionally, members have been drawn from 16 of the state’s 24 districts, with Ranchi accounting for the highest representation at six members. Dhanbad, Giridih and Garhwa have two members each, while eight districts—including Latehar, Chatra and Deoghar—have no representation.
South Chhotanagpur leads with nine office bearers, followed by North Chhotanagpur with seven. Kolhan and Palamu divisions have three members each, while Santhal Pargana has the lowest representation with two.
Explaining Ranchi’s dominance, a senior leader said it was due to administrative requirements, noting that key office-bearers must be present at the state headquarters.
In a separate development, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment granting pension benefits to women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers who were denied permanent commission due to discriminatory evaluations.
Invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142, the court ruled that such officers would be “deemed to have completed 20 years of qualifying service” as a one-time measure, entitling them to pension benefits across the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The bench, led by Justice Surya Kant, declined pleas for reinstatement citing operational concerns, and excluded certain cadres already eligible for permanent commission.
The ruling builds on earlier landmark judgments, including the Babita Puniya case (2020), which opened permanent commission to women in the Army, and the Lt Col Nitisha case (2021), which highlighted discriminatory evaluation standards.
Petitions were filed by several women officers challenging systemic bias, while the government argued that a merit-based system was already in place. The court, however, rejected arguments favouring male-only vacancies, underscoring that gender-based exclusion is unconstitutional.
The verdict is seen as a significant step toward addressing gender discrimination in the armed forces while providing long-awaited financial relief to affected women officers.
