The government informed the court that because the Coast Guard operated differently from the Indian Army and Navy, women could not be assigned to specific positions within the organisation. The government was informed by the court that the reasoning was no longer valid in the modern day, and the court threatened to intervene if the government did not take action to address the issue.
The Coast Guard navigator Priyanka Tyagi, who was released in December of last year after a 14-year tenure without being considered for a permanent commission, filed a plea with the court. The court noted this throughout the hearing.
Source: TOI
Additionally, the government attempted to dither over the issue by announcing that it was willing to study it and that a board had been established to examine “structural changes” to the force. The government’s unwillingness to accept women as Coast Guard commission officers with limited service was characterised by the court as “patriarchal”.
The statement put forth was, “If women can guard borders, they can even guard the coasts,” and it questioned why the government was not doing more to actually empower women. In February 2020, the court rendered a significant decision that opened the door for women to be commissioned permanently into the Army and Navy. It should have been obvious to extend the ruling to the Coast Guard. Claiming that women are unable to fulfil particular duties in the Coast Guard and that it is distinct from other forces violates logic and common sense.
Source: Mirror Now
The government’s stance demonstrates that many in positions of leadership in the armed services and administration continue to oppose treating women equally. There is no justification for denying women the chances and places they deserve when it is acknowledged that they are equal to males in every way. That is prejudice and a rejection of justice and fair play.
It is unfair to make a female officer knock on the doors of the highest court in the nation in order to obtain justice. Many more women who serve in the military or in other professions might not have the motivation or resources to take legal action to reclaim what is rightfully theirs when it is denied. The institution and the government bear the task of ensuring that justice is served automatically rather than upon request. Discrimination based on gender should not exist in any government agency.
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