The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday refused to quash an interim order passed allowing women candidates to take up the National Defense Academy (NDA). The court had passed an order on 18 August 2021 allowing female candidates to appear in the examination to be held on 14 November.
The Defense Ministry had moved the Supreme Court seeking time till May 2022 to include women in the NDA, citing “changes in infrastructure and curriculum”.
However, a bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul ordered that the entry of women in the ND cannot be further delayed. Senior advocate Chinmoy Pradeep Sharma, appearing for petitioner Kush Kalra, submitted that the delay in the examination would mean that women can enter NDA only in 2023.
The Supreme Court told the Center that it cannot withdraw its interim order allowing women candidates to appear in the NDA entrance exam to be held in November this year. pic.twitter.com/oWRzuycRjD
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2021
Every year two exams are conducted by NDA. Advocate Sharma said that appearing in the May 2022 examination would mean that the first women batch to enter the NDA would not be before 2023.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati submitted that NDA needs time to make changes in curriculum, infrastructure etc. to facilitate entry of women. Justice Kaul heard the concerns of advocate Bhati but said that the examination cannot be further delayed.
As reported by Live Law, Justice Kaul said, “We appreciate your problems. I am sure you guys are able to find solutions. Let’s see the results. The plan can go ahead.” The judge said, “This time many people have not enrolled for the exam. So the number may be less. So instead of skipping the exam, try to do something for them.”
The court also asked the Defense Ministry to cooperate with the UPSC by giving them provisional norms for conducting the exam.
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