'March Of The Nation': SC Orders Re-Induction Of Woman Officer In Indian Coast Guard Amid Plea For Permanent Commission

‘march of the nation’: sc orders re-induction of woman officer in indian coast guard amid plea for permanent commission

A Supreme Court bench on Monday pulled up the government for having a patriarchal approach in refusing permanent commission to a woman officer in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Priyanka Tyagi. The court ordered reinstatement of the woman officer in the ICG.

“First, we have told women that we will not be enrolling them at the bar, then Cornelia Sorabji came. Then we told women ‘you are not good enough to become officers in the army’, then they came into the army. They were not good enough to join the Air Force, they became fighter pilots. They thought they were not good enough to join the Navy because there were no toilets for women but now they have joined the Navy. Now Coast Guard…this is the march of the nation,” said Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud.

The comments came when Attorney General R Venkataramani insisted that the comparison with the Indian Navy and Indian Army is misconceived by the petitioner and the functions of the Indian Coast Guard are very different from the other armed forces, and it is not that ICG is not willing to induct women at various levels.

The AG cited the absence of infrastructure and added that it is not a question of permanent or short service entry and urged the court to keep the matter for further hearing next week.

The SC bench found merit in the submission of senior advocate Archana Pathak Dave, lawyer for Priyanka Tyagi, that the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard all come under the Ministry of Defence and therefore, there has to be equality and parity.

On February 26, the court warned the Centre stating, “Either you give permanent commission to women in Coast Guard or we will.”

The Supreme Court had on February 12 sought the Centre’s response to a petition by the officer of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) seeking parity with male officers for permanent absorption, denied to women officers under the existing rules.

Tyagi’s 14-year tenure as an SSA officer ended on December 30 and was released from service after she was denied any interim relief by the Delhi High Court on December 21, 2023.

Dave highlighted the fundamental right to equality enshrined in the Constitution.

She argued that, just as in the Army, women in the Coast Guard should have equal opportunities for promotion and the chance to become commissioned officers.

Recently, the court had pulled up the Centre for taking a “patriarchal” approach on permanent commission for women in the Coast Guard. The bench asked why the force should be different when the Army and Navy have already implemented the policy.

Stating that if women can protect the borders, they can also protect the coasts, a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud also said that the government keeps speaking of “women power” and it was time that it showed its commitment.