The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notices to the Defence Ministry and the Territorial Army on a public interest litigation petition challenging a provision in the law governing the Territorial Army that prohibits recruitment of gainfully employed women.
In his writ petition, lawyer Kush Kalra has contended that not allowing women to join the Territorial Army amounts to “institutional discrimination,” which violates fundamental freedoms and human rights. The petitioner affirmed that the discrimination on grounds of gender went against the spirit of the Constitution.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath has now asked the Defence Ministry and the Territorial Army to submit their replies by February 1 next year, when the case will come up for further hearing.
The Territorial Army is the country’s second line of defence, after the regular army. It comprises volunteers who receive military training for mobilisation in emergency situations.
Mr. Kalra said he wrote to the Territorial Army after he saw its recruitment advertisement inviting gainfully employed men in August this year and received a reply that women were not eligible to join the organisation under the provisions of the Territorial Army Act.
The lawyer contended that unlike the Armed Forces, the Territorial Army was not an occupation or a source of employment. Gainful employment or self-employment in a civil profession was a pre-requisite for joining the Territorial Army.
A petition filed before the Delhi High Court challenged a provision in the law governing the Territorial Army that prohibits recruitment of women.
Source: The Hindu
The news of a PIL against Indian Territorial Army at this point of time is surprising. The India TA was inaugurated by the first Indian Governor-General of India Shri C. Rajagopalachari on 9 October 1949 after the Independence Territorial Army Act was passed in 1948. The questions is all these years the TA has been giving out recruitment to all Citizen of India ( Male). What was Mr.Kush Kalra doing all this while. Why has Mr. Kalra taken this issue now...????
ReplyDeleteIt would have been wonderful, if Mr.Kalra had taken this initiative long back by which Women would have played a vital role in TA. Anyways now that Mr.Kalra has finally woken up from his slumber, lets hope that TA & Ministry Of Defence, Govt Of India would consider the recruitment of Women in Indian TA.
All the very best to all Aspiring Ladies to intend to become a Part of Indian TA.
Jai Hind.
Mr. Kush Kalra was not born when Territorial Army was inaugurated. He was born about 40 years after the Territorial Army was inaugurated. In the subsequent years he went to play school , then school, then he went on to procure his law degree. It was recently that he got to know about this discrimination that Indian Territorial Army is doing against female candidates. Its easy to question, difficult to act. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteThanks to this petition now no civilian can join Territorial Army.
ReplyDeleteOnly ex-army can.wtf
Thanks to this petition now no civilian can join Territorial Army.
ReplyDeleteOnly ex-army can.wtf
now there need to be another PIL against the decision of ta to call for only ex-servicemen
ReplyDelete