Why are girls not allowed to join the National Defense Academy? SC asks for a response from the government

The Supreme Court has issued a notice on discrimination against girls at the time of entry into the army. It has been told in the petition that while giving army jobs to girls, the condition of minimum graduation has been laid. Whereas the boys are allowed to join the National Defense Academy after the 12th examination.

In this way, girls lag behind boys at the beginning of their service in the army. By the time girls join the army, boys of their age have become permanent commissioned officers. The pleas of lawyers Kush Kalra and Anita were heard today in a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde. Advocate on record from his side Mohit Paul told the court that advocate Chinmay Pradeep Sharma will advocate.

But there was no need for any cross-examination. The judges who read the petition issued notice to the Ministry of Defense, National Defense Academy (NDA), and UPSC. It has been written in the petition that only boys are admitted to the National Defense Academy and Naval Academy, which appoint young officers in the army. Doing so is a violation of the fundamental rights of eligible girls, who want to join the army and serve the country.

The petition cited the Supreme Court's decision last year in which women officers were asked to pay permanent commissions. The petitioners have said that just as the court empowered the serving women military officers to be at par with men, so should the girls who wish to join the army.

It has been told in the petition that boys are allowed to join National Defense Academy and Naval Academy after the 12th standard. But there are different options for girls to join the army, they start from 19 years to 21 years. Graduation is also the minimum educational qualification for them. In such a situation, by the time girls go to the army, by the age of 17-18, the boys who have joined the army have become permanent commissioned officers. This discrimination should be removed.