Women’s entry to NDA will not be delayed: SC
THE COURT WAS EMPHATIC THAT IT CANNOT ‘SET THE CLOCK BACK’ AND ALLOW WOMEN TO SIT FOR THE EXAM NEXT YEAR
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stressed that it “cannot belie the aspirations of young girls” as it rejected the Union government’s request to delay the first-ever examination for women candidates for their entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA), and directed that they shall be allowed to sit for the upcoming exam on November 14.
“We will not put this train in reverse gear... we will not set the clock back. A beginning has to be made now. Having given some hope to women that they can take exams in November, we don’t want to belie that hope by saying they will have to wait for one more year and then something may happen. Exam cannot be postponed,” a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and BR Gavai said.
While seeking the exemption for this year’s admission, the government on Monday said that women can sit for the entrance exam in April-may next year and join the academy in January 2023. But the court was emphatic that there cannot be a request from the authorities to make the aspiring women skip the upcoming exam in November.
The bench accepted submissions by senior counsel Chinmoy Pradip Sharma and advocate Mohit Paul, who appeared for the petitioner in the case, that the Centre’s latest affidavit, filed on September 20, was effectively asking to wipe out the court’s interim order of August 18 that permitted women to take the exam this year.
“What would effectively mean by the submission of the armed forces is – No jam today, jam tomorrow! It will be difficult for us to accept that position, the aspirations of women having been arisen in view of the order, albeit subject to the final outcome of the petition. We would thus not like to effectively vacate the order passed,” said the bench in its order.
The order added: “The armed forces having dealt with very difficult situations admirably, both at the borders and inside the country, to deal with emergencies is a part of their training. We are sure they can deal with this ‘emergency’, if it is so perceived.”
The bench directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to issue a revised notification for the entrance exam for NDA after consultation with the ministry of defence (MOD), which will indicate tentative requirements for the women candidates if the standards cannot not be finalised by the time of issuance of the notification. It fixed the petition filed by Kush Kalra in the third week of January, noting the court will pass further orders emerging from the situation that emerges later.
Representing the Centre, additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati tried to persuade the bench that women candidates will have to skip the exam in November in view of the sweeping changes that have to be brought about before women cadets are inducted and start their training at the joint defence service training institute of the Indian armed forces.
“There is a study group in place to examine all the requirements relating to curriculum, medical standards, accommodation, training needs,” said Bhati.