Considering recruiting women as constables in CISF, paramilitary forces: Centre to Delhi HC

The high court in its May 9 order recorded, “He has also stated that the Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) has been designated as a nodal force by the Ministry of Home Affairs to frame common recruitment rules for non-G.D. Course and the process will take some time. In light of the aforesaid statement made by learned counsel for UOI, list the matter on 29.08.2023.”

The high court was hearing a 2018 plea moved by petitioner Kush Kalra seeking a direction to the Centre to recruit women to the posts in CISF on par with men. The plea also sought to know the steps taken by CISF towards gender equality.

The petitioner moved the court after finding that an advertisement issued by CISF invited applications from only male candidates for the posts of constable/driver and constable/driver-cum-pump operator for fire services in the force.

In his plea filed through advocate Charu Wali Khanna, Kalra has said that the human rights of women were inalienable and an integral and indivisible part of human rights and there was no rationale for not recruiting women to the posts.

“The respondents (Centre and CISF) are practising institutional discrimination, without any rationale basis depriving females the right to serve in the aforementioned posts. The state cannot enact any law which is inconsistent with…fundamental rights and as a consequence thereof, respondents cannot frame any law…for its functioning which is inconsistent with or in derogation of fundamental rights,” the plea stated.