The Delhi High Court has called upon the Union Government as well as the Indian Air Force (IAF) to state their position on a petition filed by a woman who has contended that vacant posts in IAF’s ‘flying branch’ should be filled up by commissioning competent women like her. Delhi High Court’s bench consisting of  Justice Rekha Palli & Justice Shalinder Kaur issued notice to the concerned authorities on the woman’s petition. The High Court expressed hope that the IAF will dispassionately examine the issue and consider why women who are found fit for flying duties cannot be commissioned, when notified vacancies could not be filled up by male candidates. 

The petitioner who aspires to be a pilot in IAF, had applied for the post pursuant to an advertisement dated May 17, 2023. The petitioner’s counsel stated that she has not challenged the ‘advertisement’ in which a small percentage of vacancies were reserved for female candidates in the ‘flying branch’. Despite her successful completion of all required examinations and being declared fit, the petitioner’s application faced a setback when she was informed that she would not be considered for the Air Force Flying position due to the vacancies reserved for female candidates had already been filled. 

The petitioner has contended that as some of the notified vacancies have not been filled up, there was no reason why those vacancies could not be filled up by commissioning competent women.

Case details : Archana v. Union of India, W.P.(C) 11999 of 2024, decided on 30-08-2024] 

Advocates who appeared in this case: 

Mr. Sahil Mongia, Mr. Yash Yadav, Ms. Sanjana Samor & Mr. Prateek Mehta, Counsel for petitioners; 

Ms. Avshreya Pratap Singh Rudy with Ms. Usha Jamnal, Advs for UOI. 

Mr.Rohan Jaitley, CGSC with Mr.Hussain Taqvi, GP for R-1, 3, 4, 5, & 6. 

Mr.Ravinder Agarwal with Mr.Lekh Raj Singh, Advs for UPSC.