New Delhi: The Center has told the Supreme Court that a notification to include girls in the National Defense Academy will be issued in May 2022. Earlier, experts from the three armed forces are working on the criteria for the selection of women cadets. Training criteria are also being fixed for the selection of girls. Along with this, the needs of infrastructure and support staff to accommodate women cadets in the academy are also being assessed.
Advocate Kush Kalra has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking equal opportunities for girls to join the army. It mentions that the National Defense Academy, which recruits young officers in the army, admits only boys. Doing so is a violation of the fundamental rights of eligible girls who want to serve the country by joining the army.
In the hearing held on September 8, the Center told the Supreme Court that it has decided to commission girls in the army through the NDA. Now an affidavit has been filed regarding this.
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An affidavit filed by the Defense Ministry said that the three armed forces are ready to recruit women officers through the NDA. Before this the necessary standards are being set.
The affidavit states that cadets in the age group of 16 to 19 and a half years and cadets who have passed the 10+2 examination are recruited. Only physically fit cadets are selected. Physical standards have been fixed for boys. There is a discussion on setting the criteria for girls. Similarly, it is also being considered how to change the training methods for girls which are suitable for them and also meet the needs of the army.
The ministry has said that it is yet to be decided in which part of the army and how many vacancies of women officers will be there. Cadets are currently kept in cabins in NDA. Construction of cabins for women cadets, other infrastructure keeping in mind their privacy needs is also under consideration. A decision is also to be taken on the support staff required for the training of girls.
Giving all this information, the Center has assured the court that UPSC will issue a notification inviting applications for NDA entrance exam from girls in May 2022 as well. That is, next year girls will also be able to appear in the NDA entrance exam. Girls who pass it and meet the physical criteria will be able to take admission in the academy.
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