On Wednesday, the Central Government informed the Supreme Court that it had decided to allow women to be inducted into the National Defence Academy after consulting with the Armed Forces (NDA).
The Court was told of this by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati. œThis gives me great pleasure to share. In the NDA, women will be accepted. A thorough affidavit will be filed œAccording to Bhati, The matter was then recorded and rescheduled for a hearing on September 22.
The Court was considering a public interest lawsuit alleging that denying women the option to join the NDA was a violation of their constitutional rights under Articles 14, 15, 16, and 19.
Bhati petitioned the Court to maintain the status quo for the tests, citing the need for procedural and infrastructure modifications. The Court then went on to praise the Centre™s attitude on the matter.
It also expressed gratitude to the ASG for his efforts to convince the armed forces to adopt a more gender-balanced approach œAccording to the order. We hope that the military recognises the vital role that women play. The Court continued, œWe urge them to take a proactive approach in gender-based duties rather than waiting for the courts to intervene.”
The Supreme Court ruled in February 2020 that women officers in the Army should be granted Permanent Commission on the same basis as their male counterparts.
Despite the Centre™s objections, this was accomplished. In March 2021, the Supreme Court ordered the Central Government to let women officers who were previously denied permanent commissions due to unequal application of fitness requirements.