Notification allowing women to take NDA exam will be out by May 2022: Centre to Supreme Court

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed the Supreme Court that a notification allowing women candidates to take the entrance exam for entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA) will be released in May, 2022. (Kush Kalra vs Union of India).The Centre further stated that a study group has been constituted by the Defence services comprising experts to expeditiously formulate curriculum for women cadets at the NDA and a Board of Officers has been convened to frame a futuristic proposal for training of women cadets at NDA.."Any dilution of physical training and service subject like firing, etc. would invariably impact the Battle Worthiness of the Armed Forces adversely," an affidavit filed by MoD before the top court said.Therefore, facilities like equitation, swimming, games and sports have to be developed for the women candidates, it was submitted..In this regard, the affidavit also highlighted the needs to have a robust physical separation between male and female residential areas for which new residential facilities have to be developed to accommodate the women candidates including bathroom cubicles with modifications to maintain privacy. The affidavit was filed on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by Kush Kalra claiming that denying women opportunity to be part of NDA was violative of their fundamentals rights under Articles 14, 15, 16 and 19 of the Constitution.The Court had, during the hearing of the case on August 18, passed an interim order allowing women candidates to appear for NDA entrance exam.Later, the Central government had informed the Supreme Court that it has in consultation with Armed Forces taken a decision to allow induction of women into NDA. The present affidavit has been filed giving details of the modalities of working that decision..Senior Advocate Chinmoy Pradip Sharma along with Advocate-on-Record Mohit Paul and advocate Sunaina Phul are representing the petitioner.Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati is appearing for the Centre.[Read Affidavit]