The Supreme Court slammed the armed forces for their "discriminatory mindset" toward women and, as a temporary solution, permitted female candidates to take the National Defence Academy entrance exam.
The UPSC was instructed to release a corrigendum stating that female candidates will be permitted to take the exam pending the outcome of the lawsuit. The entrance exam is set to take place next month.
Earlier, a bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud intervened to tell the authorities that female short service commission officers should be considered for permanent commission.
Women are permitted to serve in up to ten non-combat units of the army, but are not permitted to serve in units that engage in active combat, with the exception of fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force.
On Wednesday, a two-member bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul spoke out against the armed forces' "outdated" norms and urged authorities to take gender neutrality into account when making decisions. Justice Hrishikesh Roy was the other judge on the bench.
The government had objected to female candidates being allowed in the NDA. It had also stated that not being allowed to sit for the NDA examination was not a barrier to women's advancement in the army.
The bench dismissed these concerns, stating that observing a tokenism of gender neutrality was a constitutional requirement.
During the hearing, the Centre said, “Women are being granted equal opportunity in the armed forces in the avenues that have been opened up for employment of women. There is no violation of any fundamental right merely on account of the mode of entries available to men and women to join the armed forces.”
