UPSC invites application from women candidates
NEW DELHI : The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday sought applications from women to appear in the November 14 examination for entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy, a move that came two days after the Supreme Court rejected the Centre’s request to allow women to be admitted to the elite military institutions from 2023. The court on Wednesday stressed that it “cannot belie the aspirations of young girls” while directing women shall be allowed to sit for the exam as per schedule.
“In compliance with the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India’s interim direction permitting the women candidates to take part in the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (Ii)…the Union Public Service Commission has decided to open the online portal of application on its website (upsconline.nic.in) for this Examination to enable the unmarried women candidates ONLY (to take it)...,” UPSC said in a statement. It added the application window will remain open for women candidates till 6 pm on October 8. The eligibility criteria is the same for men too, although women candidates are exempt from paying the exam fee of ₹100.
The Centre on Monday, September 20, sought exemption for this year’s admission. It said women can take the entrance exam in April-may next year to join NDA in January 2023. But the court wasn’t amenable to this. The court directed UPSC to issue a revised notification for the entrance exam after consultation with the ministry of defence to indicate tentative requirements for women candidates if standards for admission cannot be finalised by the time of issuance of the notification. The Centre argued in favour of a deferral 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.
On August 18, the top court said that women should also be admitted to NDA. The court allowed women to sit for the upcoming entrance examination in November this year, breaking a glass ceiling that has held women back for 65 years. The order was passed on a petition filed by Kush Kalra for equal opportunity for women at NDA and the Indian Naval Academy. Appearing for the petitioner, senior counsel Chinmoy Pradip Sharma and advocate Mohit Paul contended that the categorical exclusion of eligible female candidates from NDA was unconstitutional and done entirely on the basis of their sex.