Notification on women's admission to NDA will be out by May, 2022

The Ministry of Defense on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the notification for women's entrance examination for entry to National Defense Academy will be published by UPSC by May 2022. The ministry said that medical standards for women, which are not in place as of now, will be laid down and Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services and the body of experts shall be undertaking the process.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Defense on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the notification for women's entrance examination for entry to National Defense Academy will be published by UPSC by May 2022. It has said that medical standards for women, which are not in place as of now, will be laid down and Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services and the body of experts shall be undertaking the process.

"That on the aspect of the requirement of infrastructure, it is most respectfully submitted that based on the inputs and experience at other Pre commissioning Training Academies(PCTAs) with reference to the training of women cadets, one of the key facets of accommodation of women cadets has to be a robust physical separation between the male and female residential areas. In these circumstances, it shall have to be examined that given the present infrastructural status in NDA, assuming that the process of UPSC notification towards induction of women cadets at NDA is to commence at the earliest in the next year and that too in the first half of the year, various preparatory actions are envisaged towards the implementation plan," read the affidavit.

The affidavit said that number of cabins for women cadets, sanitation, bathroom cubicles, security and privacy arrangements, physical segregation of living quarters etc will have to be put in place. Further it said that Gynaecologists, sports medicine specialists, counsellors, nursing staff, attendants will be also be required to be posted at Military Hospital, Khadakwasla.

The affidavit said that a "study group has been constituted by the Defense services, comprising of the experts to expeditiously formulate the comprehensive curriculum for women cadets at NDA and a Board of officers has been convened to give a holistic and futuristic proposal for training of women cadets at NDA incorporating all relevant aspects," read the affidavit.

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The affidavit was filed in response to the petition filed by Kush Kalra challenging the non induction of women into NDA. The government had then sought time till 20th September to present its plan regarding admission of women regarding which it has filed the affidavit.

Advocate Kush Kalra filed the petition in the apex court seeking directions to allow eligible female candidates to join the NDA and the Indian Naval Academy (INA) at par with the men. The plea stated that denial of opportunity to women candidates to enrol at the NDA is violative of Articles 14, 15, 16, and 19 of the Constitution.

Earlier, the Bench had also issued a notice in an impalement application by a woman candidate Anita, who was denied an opportunity to enrol at the NDA. Anita had said that she had to give up her aspirations to join the Armed Forces.

"The eligible and willing female candidates being denied the opportunity of entry to the National Defence Academy on the basis of their sex and thereby systematically and categorically excluding eligible female candidates the opportunity to train at the premier joint training institute of the Indian Armed Forces which, at a later point of time, becomes a hurdle in the career advancement opportunities for Female Officers in the Armed Forces," the plea stated.

The petition was filed in light of the directions issued by the top court on the extension of Permanent Commission to Short Service Commissioned women officers of the Indian Army.

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The apex court in the month of August passed an interim order allowing women to take the admission exam to National Defence Academy (NDA) where only men can join. The top court also pulled up the Army for resisting opportunities to women and asked it to change its attitude and not wait for judicial orders to be passed in such matters.