In a major step towards ensuring gender parity, the Government on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that women will now be eligible for induction into the National Defence Academy (NDA). The apex court had  last month pulled up the Armed forces for keeping women candidates out of the NDA  and allowed them  to appear for the entrance examination of the NDA.

The three Services chiefs visited the headquarters of the NDA, the cradle of grooming officers for the Army, the Navy and the IAF, late last month to take stock of the infrastructure catering to women cadets. The NDA was founded in 1954 in Khadakvasala, Pune and till now admits only male cadets.

It is the only tri-service institution in the world.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, told a bench comprising Justice SK Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh that the Armed forces and the Government have decided that women candidates  will be inducted for permanent commission through the NDA.

The ASG sought apex court’s permission to place the details on record through affidavit and sought status quo in this year’s exams as this needs procedure and infrastructural changes.

The top court said it has been periodically nudging the authorities to do it themselves and it believes that they are best suited to evolve the whole.

“The idea is when nothing happens, the court steps in. Let me assure you it’s not a happy situation to step in and we would like the Armed services to do it themselves. They are very respected forces of the country but on gender equality they have to do more and sometimes the resistance does not come out well,” said the bench.

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Kush Kalra raising the issue of exclusion of eligible and willing female candidates from joining the prestigious NDA solely on the ground of sex which allegedly is a violation of fundamental right of equality. 

The matter will now come up in the court after two weeks.

Bhati said, “It is a delight to share this. Women will be admitted in the NDA. We will place a detailed affidavit. On June 24, the exam was postponed to November this year. Please grant status quo in these exams as this needs procedure and infrastructural changes.”

In the hearing on August 18, the court criticised a “mindset problem” when it came to equal service opportunities for men and women in the country’s Armed forces, and warned the Government “you better change”.

About 300 cadets are inducted into the NDA every semester after clearing the entrance examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

So far, women candidates appear and qualify for courses in the Officers Training Academy (OTA) of the Army and similar institutions of the IAF and the Navy.

Moreover, they join these institutions after securing the basic graduation degree. In the case of the NDA, candidates are eligible for the examination conducted by the UPSC after clearing the plus two stage of the school. 

The selected candidates then undergo rigorous training for four years before branching out to the specialised institutions of the Army, IAF and the Navy.