A Supreme Court order has directed the Centre to allow women to appear in the November 2021 National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance exam, saying ‘gender equity issues cannot be put off’. The order comes a day after the Defence Ministry informed the Supreme Court that a notification allowing women to appear for the exam would be issued by May of next year. According to the Supreme Court, women should be permitted to sit for the November 2021 examination. The medical standards should be notified tentatively and UPSC to correct the notification for the exam.
‘In effect, what is being requested is that the Nov. 21 entrance exam be skipped as far as an entrance for women is concerned. We have considered the submissions. It will be difficult for us in this situation as the aspirations of women have grown,’ the court continued. A government official told the court on September 8 that the Armed Forces were already considering the induction of women into the NDA. On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court regarding the induction of women into the Army, Navy, and Air Force through the National Defence Academy.
A notification on the UPSC’s first notification for the entrance exam is expected to be published in May 2022, the time by which women candidates are expected to be inducted into the NDA by the government. It was advised that meticulous planning and preparation were necessary to ensure smooth induction and training for women candidates, keeping the timelines in mind.
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The Defence Ministry stated in the affidavit that medical standards exist for male candidates, but that they are still being formulated for female candidates. A panel of experts will determine the medical standards, taking into account various aspects. The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Kush Kalra. According to the petition, female candidates are denied entry to the NDA solely based on their gender, which is allegedly incompatible with the right to equality.
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