Delhi High Court Questions Indian Air Force on Gender Discrimination in Pilot Recruitment
The Delhi High Court has asked the Indian Air Force to review why qualified women are not being commissioned as pilots despite vacancies. This follows a petition by Archana, an aspiring pilot, who claims her application was rejected due to gender discrimination.
Details of the Case
A division bench of Justices Rekha Palli and Shalinder Kaur issued notices to the Central Government, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Ministry of Defence, National Defence Academy (NDA), and Directorate of Personnel (Offrs) Air Headquarters. The matter will be heard on September 12.
Archana’s petition seeks permission to fill a vacancy for the post of ‘Air Force (i) Flying’ as advertised on May 17, 2023. Despite being found ‘fit to fly,’ her application was rejected purely on gender grounds, which she argues is unconstitutional and violates her fundamental rights.
Arguments Presented
Archana contends that the rejection is discriminatory since female candidates are equally capable of flying as male candidates. She also seeks clarification that the vacancies listed in the May 17, 2023 advertisement do not exclude eligible female candidates.
Her counsel, Sahil Mongia, argued that even though a small percentage of vacancies were reserved for female candidates, unfilled vacancies should be available to competent women like Archana.
Background
Archana applied for the examination on June 3, 2023, and was declared successful in the written part of the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2023. Despite being declared ‘fit to fly’ after passing the CPSS examination, she was not considered for the post due to her gender.
On July 31, 2024, Archana sent representations to several departments, including the Chief of Air Staff, seeking an increase in allocated vacancies for female candidates. However, the Ministry of Defence declined her request, stating that only two female candidates were selected for the Flying Branch based on organizational requirements.
Legal Standpoint
Archana argues that the actions of the respondents are arbitrary and violate Articles 14, 15, 16, and 19 of the Constitution of India. She seeks to have her candidature reconsidered and allowed to join the forces, having been found fit to fly and well-qualified.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a big court in Delhi, India, where important legal cases are decided. Judges here make decisions on various issues, including those related to laws and rights.
Indian Air Force -: The Indian Air Force is a part of India’s military that deals with flying planes and protecting the country’s airspace. They have pilots who fly fighter jets, transport planes, and helicopters.
Gender Discrimination -: Gender discrimination means treating someone unfairly just because they are a boy or a girl. In this case, it means not allowing women to become pilots just because they are women.
Pilot Recruitment -: Pilot recruitment is the process of selecting and hiring people to become pilots. This involves tests, interviews, and training to make sure they are fit to fly planes.
Petition -: A petition is a formal request made to a court or government asking for a specific action. In this case, Archana made a petition to the court because she felt she was treated unfairly.
Archana -: Archana is the name of the woman who wants to become a pilot. She believes she was not chosen because she is a woman, and she has asked the court to look into this.
Central Government -: The Central Government is the main government of India, which makes important decisions for the whole country. It includes the Prime Minister and other ministers.
UPSC -: UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission. It is an organization in India that conducts exams and interviews to select people for various government jobs.
Ministry of Defence -: The Ministry of Defence is a part of the Indian government that takes care of the country’s defense and military matters. It oversees the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
NDA -: NDA stands for National Defence Academy. It is a training institute in India where young people are trained to become officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Air Headquarters -: Air Headquarters is the main office of the Indian Air Force where top officials work and make important decisions about the Air Force.
