Women can sign up for Territorial Army

The Delhi high court was infomed that women can join and serve in the Territorial Army (TA), in its railway engineer regiments, and will also be considered for honorary commissions.

The Central government made this submission in an affidavit filed before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, which is hearing a PIL seeking recruitment of women in TA, which is the second line of defence after the regular army. The bench will hear the matter on September 22.

TA is an organisation of volunteers who receive military training to be mobilised for the country’s defence in case of an emergency.

The centre said that there was no discrimination in the selection procedure, eligibility criteria and terms of service of women candidates or officers in TA.

“The women officers in TA have been promoted to the rank of brigadier, which is the highest rank applicable to TA officers,” the affidavit said. With regard to TA’s 2015 recruitment advertisement, which mentioned only gainfully employed men and not women, the affidavit said that the advertisement was for the grant of commission in the infantry units of TA.

It also said that recruitment of men in infantry units of TA was a policy decision taken as per the Territorial Army Act and the policy could be amended only if the law was amended.

With regard to the honorary commissions given to some politicians, celebrities and sportspersons, the government said that such people received no financial benefit nor did they perform any military duties or command troops. Instead they acted as “brand ambassadors” of the army to motivate the youth to join the armed forces.

This provision was initially applicable to male citizens only, but the TA Directorate decided to amend the policy and as on date, both men and women could be considered for grant of honorary commissions, the affidavit said.

The government sought dismissal of the PIL by law student Kush Kalra, saying his contention that women were not being allowed to join TA was incorrect.

In his reply to the government’s affidavit, Kalra said, “In the prospectus which is obtained under RTI by the petitioner, on page 9 and 10 the Eminent Personalities of Territorial Army are provided and there is no mention of any female on the list, which, on the face, puts down the claim of respondents that women can join the TA.