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| Opportunities cut for women | | |
Vijay Garg
Women had to fight a long and legal battle to get a place in the National Defense Academy i.e. NDA, then opportunities became available for them too. But it seems that in spite of having arrangement for admission in NDA as per rules, many hurdles are being created in front of them even today due to different reasons. However, this is a subject in which the government itself should have taken the initiative to give equal rights to women as men, instead of court intervention.
But the condition is that even today, even after the matter is cleared in the court, excuses are being sought to obstruct the way of women. The question is, why is the government hesitant to implement this issue despite the clarity on providing opportunities for women under the court process! It is not unreasonable that the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the government to clarify its stand on the issue. The court has asked the Center why despite its order, for the year 2022 as well as last year’s NDA, why only nineteen seats for women candidates were limited!
It is worth noting that last year also, the government had given admission to only nineteen women citing lack of infrastructure. However, then it was expected that the seats for women would be increased at least once the infrastructure situation improved. But now for 2022 also the government has again proposed the same number of admissions.
The question is, what has the government done to improve the condition of lack of infrastructure even after a year has passed! Can this be seen as the government being negligent about the order of the court? In the eyes of the government, if such a problem is no longer a major hindrance, then why is it curtailing opportunities for women? Last year’s figures may be considered an ad-hoc measure due to circumstantial reasons, but how will the stagnation on this be viewed? On this the court has rightly observed that there should not be only nineteen seats for women in NDA forever.
It is ironic in itself that in an era when defense is a sensitive aspect for the country, the government cites lack of infrastructural facilities as a key reason in any case. The entry of women in the military services in particular has not been a new question. But earlier also the government had tried to present co-education as a problem along with other reasons.
Apart from this, perhaps in view of the stand taken by the government on this issue so far, it was said in the petition that in order to exclude deserving and willing women candidates from appearing in the National Defense Academy and Naval Academy examination on the basis of gender only, the respondents This is a violation of the fundamental right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law. Obviously, for gender equality and providing women their rights, the government should make its stand clear on this issue. At the same time, a message should also be given that it is self-conscious about the democratic and equal rights of women. |
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