New Delhi:

Seeing as the judiciary must be the “flag-bearer” and stand with the country, the Supreme Court on Monday filed a complaint against the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) over the treatment of a woman who was dismissed as a Short Service Commission officer in 2021 and ordered the maritime The troops re-enlisted her.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrahud came down heavily on the ICG’s refusal to grant permanent commissions to women officers and referred to the Supreme Court ruling on grant of permanent commissions to women officers of the Army, Air Force and Navy and said discrimination must end .

“We have to be the flag-bearers and move forward with the country. Earlier, women could not join the legal profession and could only become fighter pilots,” the bench, including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said, adding that women are vital to achieving gender equality. The move says resistance to equality must go away.

“Is this how you treat female officers?” the judge said while ordering the ICG to recall Priyanka Tyagi to the force.

The bench directed the ICG to reappoint Priyanka Tyagi to the post held by her on the date of her retirement in 2023.

“Pending further orders, the petitioners shall be allotted important posts commensurate with their qualifications…,” it ordered.

The Supreme Court also transferred Priyanka Tyagi’s pending plea in the Delhi High Court to itself.

Priyanka Tyagi has sought permanent appointment for eligible ICG Women Short Service Commission Officers.

Attorney General R Venkataramani said it was wrong to compare the ICG with the Army, Navy and Air Force, a view the bench disagreed with.

“We have passed judgment on issues related to the Standing Committee on Army, Navy and Air Force. Unfortunately, the Indian Coast Guard remains an outsider… Look at the resistance to a woman joining the Coast Guard,” CJI observed.

The Attorney General said he was not opposed to gender equality, but was referring to the facts of the case and the police’s readiness for change.

“I’m not boycotting anything at all. I’m not boycotted by them. But I’m just looking at the so-called orderly process of building some kind of institutional transition and how we manage it,” the government’s top legal official said.

The CJI had earlier noted that women were said to be “not eligible to join the Navy as it did not have women’s toilets, but now they have joined the Navy…”.

The ICG had earlier said it was committed to recruiting more women officers over time.

However, it told the bench that the current recruitment rules relating to short-service commission officers clearly state that they cannot seek permanent commission.

Considering that women cannot be excluded, the bench asked the Center to ensure that they get permanent appointments in the Coast Guard.

Seeking response from the Center and maritime powers, the Supreme Court said, “All these functional arguments are not tenable in 2024. Women cannot be left out. If you don’t do it, we will.” So have a look. that. “You talk about ‘nari shakti’ (women’s empowerment). Now show it here. You’re in deep trouble on this one. You have to have a policy that treats women fairly,” the judge remarked at the time.

The bench said the petitioner was the only woman officer of the SSC who had opted for permanent posting and asked why her case was not considered.

“Now, the Coast Guard must develop a policy,” the judge said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)