Diksha Lalita Devanand Karhade
News editor
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the intentions of the Central Government in the matter of permanent commission for women in the Coast Guard. Slamming the Center for adopting a ‘patriarchal’ approach on permanent commission for women in the Coast Guard, the Supreme Court has asked why the Coast Guard should be any different when the Army and Navy have already implemented the policy. CJI DY Chandrachud asked why the Centre’s attitude towards the Coast Guard is so indifferent. When women can protect the borders, then women can also protect the coasts.
CJI Chandrachud said, ‘Why do you have such an indifferent attitude towards the Coast Guard? Why don’t you want women in the Coast Guard? If women can protect the borders then they can also protect the coasts. If you talk about women power, now demonstrate it here also. I don’t think the Coast Guard can say that when the Army, Navy have done all this then they can be out of bounds.
Chief Justice Chandrachud further said, ‘You all have not yet read our Babita Poonia judgment. Why are you so patriarchal that you don’t want to see women in the Coast Guard field? If you have women in the Navy then what is so special about the Coast Guard? We will open the entire canvas. Gone are the times when we used to say that women cannot be in the Coast Guard. If women can protect the borders, women can also protect the coasts.’ The bench of CJI DY Chandrachud has sought a reply from the Central Government in this matter.
In fact, Coast Guard officers have also jumped into the legal battle for the appointment of women officers as commissioned officers in the army. The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Center and sought its reply. Petitioner Priyanka Tyagi is a member of the first all-women crew of the Coast Guard, which was deployed to maintain the Domair aircraft on the Coast Guard fleet. This petition has been filed by AOR Siddhant Sharma. Senior lawyer Archana Pathak Dave argued in this matter.
Let us tell you that this petition has been filed challenging the order of Delhi High Court, in which relief was not given to the petitioner. In his writ, the petitioner has cited the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Babita Poonia and Annie Nagaraj and others vs. Government of India, Ministry of Defence, on the basis of short service appointment of ten years. A request has been made to the Supreme Court that he should also be given permanent commission rank appointment. Based on the previous decision of the Supreme Court, Tyagi has invoked the fundamental right to equality. Like the Army, in the Coast Guard too, deserving women officers should be promoted and given the opportunity to become commissioned officers.
