HC seeks Centre reply on plea by 8 women

THE PETITION WAS FILED AGAINST THE ALLEGED ‘UNJUST, UNREASONABLE ARBITRARY AND DISCRIMINATORY ACT’ OF SELECTING CANDIDATES

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Wednesday sought the Centre’s response on a plea by eight women who have applied for Territorial Army, alleging that despite opening up selection to women in 2019 the authorities have not published the final result till date and have selected the candidates.

A bench of Justices Manmohan and Navin Chawla issued notices and asked the Centre, Chief of the Army Staff, Additional Director General of Recruiting and Territorial Army to respond to the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on December 15.

The petition was filed against the alleged “unjust, unreasonable arbitrary and discriminatory act” of the authorities of selecting candidates for grant of commission as Territorial Army Officers (Non-departmental) in Preliminary Interview Board for Territorial Army Commission2019 (TA-2019) without publication of the final result in a mechanical manner.

The plea filed by eight women applicants said the authorities have proceeded illegally to issue joining instructions without application of mind and admitted some of the candidates ignoring the fact that neither the final result was published officially nor they were informed about it. The petitioners, represented through senior advocate Sanjoy Ghose, sought direction to the authorities to consider their representations for publishing the result.

The Territorial Army is part of the Army and is expected to step in and assist the force during natural disasters and in civil administration.