The Delhi High Court today asked how the Army could object to the recruitment of married women in its legal branch JAG after the display by women fighter pilots and the BSF all-women bikers' contingent on Republic Day. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the Indian Army should take a "legal stand" against the objections instead of filing a response to the affidavit. "After the Republic Day display by the women (the fighter pilots and the BSF bikers) how can you (Army) still maintain these objections (to recruitment of married women in the Judge Advocate General)," it said and listed the matter for further hearing on March 19. The observation by the court came during the hearing of a PIL by a lawyer claiming that there was "institutionalised discrimination" against married women by not inducting them in the JAG service, the legal branch of the Army. Advocate Charu Wali Khanna, appearing for petitioner Kush Kalra, told the bench that earlier there was a bar on recruitment of married women, but this prohibition was extended to married men after filing of the PIL.
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