SC lists pleas on bias against women at places of worship

The Supreme Court on Monday announced that a nine-judge bench will begin final hearings on April 7, 2026, on petitions related to discrimination against women at religious places, including the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, and on the scope of religious freedom under the Constitution. The hearings are scheduled to conclude on April 22.The case traces back to September 2018, when a five-judge Constitution bench lifted the ban preventing women aged 10-50 from entering the Ayyappa shrine. In 2019, another five-judge bench referred the broader issue of gender discrimination in places of worship, including mosques and Parsi Agiarys, to a larger bench. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed proceedings for nearly five years.Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said parties must file written submissions by March 14.