Service Chiefs Review Preps After Supreme Court Nod To Women For NDA Exam

The chiefs of all three armed forces - Army, Navy And Air Force - are at the National Defense Academy in Khadakwasla today, two days after the Supreme Court said that women can sit for the NDA (National Defence Academy) admission exam and nudged the Army to bring about the changes on its own.

The exam has been now been rescheduled for November 14.

The Commandant of the NDA will be presenting a study with recommendations on the changes which will be required to incorporate the entry of women candidates in the NDA - a move that grants women the opportunity for permanent commission in the forces as soon as they are recruited.

Presently, women are recruited as Short Service Commission officers and later considered for permanent commission, a procedure that women candidates have said has a detrimental impact on growth prospects in the services.

On Wednesday, the top court - in extremely hard hitting comments - slammed the "mindset problem" when it comes to equal service opportunities for men and women in the country's armed forces, and warned the government "you better change".

"This is a mindset problem. You (the government) better change it... don't force us to pass orders," the top court had said, adding, "This policy decision is based on gender discrimination. We direct the respondents to take a constructive view of the matter in view of the judgement of this court."

"The endeavour is to persuade the Army to do things itself... We would prefer if the Army did somethings itself, rather than us passing orders," the top court added.

On its part, the government had argued and that there were a wide number of ways in which women could apply and that its recruitment policy was not discriminatory.