The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre on two petitions seeking permission for women to be allowed admission into the National Defence Academy (NDA), where only men can join now.

A bench of Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian was hearing separate petitions filed by Anita and Kush Kalra alleging that the system of confining the eligibility criteria to male candidates was unconstitutional and discriminatory under Article 14 (equality) 15 (non-discrimination) 16 (equal opportunities in government jobs) and 19 (right to practise one’s profession or livelihood) of the Constitution.

The petitioners were represented by advocates Chinmoy Pradip Sharma and Mohit Paul.

According to the petitioners, eligible and willing women candidates are being denied admission to the NDA on the basis of their sex, thereby categorically refusing them a chance to train at the premier institute of the Indian armed forces.

“…Systematic discriminatory treatment meted out to eligible female candidates who are aspiring to join the National Defence Academy to train as future officers of the Indian armed forces is done away with and a system is brought into place through which the eligible and willing female candidates are not able to enrol and train in the National Defence Academy,” Anita’s petition said.

She contended that due to the discrimination she could not join the NDA and had to pursue a post-graduate course in law.

“The applicant herein could identify with the issues and the discrimination being faced by eligible female candidates to join the National Defence Academy on a personal level as she herself aspired for a career in the armed forces as a school student.

“The applicant had seen her male classmates from school prepare for the National Defence Academy and the Naval Academy examination and the applicant was left distraught when she learned that she did not have the opportunity to prepare for the National Defence Academy and the Naval Academy examination as females are not admitted into the National Defence Academy on the sole ground of their sex,” Anita’s petition said.

A career as a permanent commissioned officer of the armed forces is considered to be one of the most respected and exciting professions in India, the petitioner said. However, women are not eligible to get directly recruited to that position.