The Indian government informed the Supreme Court that stepmothers are not eligible for family pensions under Indian Air Force regulations, asserting that pensions are not a bounty and must adhere to specific legal definitions. This stance arose during a plea from Jayashree Y Jogi, who challenged a ruling denying her special family pension as the stepmother of a deceased airman. The Centre emphasized that pension eligibility is strictly governed by the Pensions Regulations for the Indian Air Force, which defines ‘mother’ as only the biological parent. The government maintained that including stepmothers would extend the regulations beyond their intended scope, reiterating the importance of adhering to statutory definitions in pension claims.