Women have been playing a significant role as part of India’s armed forces including in shaping the country’s response to hostilities like what was done in Balakot and that as the shape of warfare changes, their roles too will advance, the Centre on Wednesday told the SC.
“Women are playing a very important role… strike was engineered by a woman sitting in the control role. So, the face of warfare is changing. It will change,” Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan.
The court was hearing a pending plea by two women challenging the notification dated January 18, 2023, for the JAG (Judge Advocate General) Entry Scheme 31st Course, inviting applications from Law Graduates. The duo said they had secured ranks 5 and 6 in the common selection process but will not be able to make it to the selection list as 6 of the 9 vacancies are for men and 3 for women. The Centre had earlier said that the criteria for selection in JAG from 2012-2022 was 70 percent men and 30 percent men but will be 50:50 from 2013-2033.
The court said this will still not make the process gender neutral as seats continue to be divided into male and female vacancies. Justice Manmohan said, “once you allow them in JAG, you will have to allow it in (all other positions)…why are you making a discrimination that they will not be posted in A area, B area. Why can’t you deploy them everywhere?”
Bhati said it is a governmental policy and said things will change when the nature of warfare also changes.
