SC to examine 'caste/region-based' recruitment in Army

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Agencies: New Delhi, Dec 10 2012, 21:46 IST

Tags: Supreme Court | Indian Army | K S Radhakrishnan | Dipak Misra

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a plea for its direction to abolish India Army's recruitment criteria for its duty soldiers, allegedly based on caste, region and religion.

A bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra asked the petitioner, a doctor of Rewari in Haryana, to supply the copy of the petition to the Solicitor General who will assist the court.

The petitioner I S Yadav submitted in his plea that unlike Air Force and Navy, there is "discriminatory classification" for recruitment on caste/religion/region basis and submitted that a national policy of recruitment be formed in the Army.

"At recruitment stage there cannot be caste-cum-religion-cum-region based classification. There cannot be specific recruitment on the basis of caste, region and religion to various regiments like Maratha Regiment, Rajasthan Rifles, Dogra Regiment, Jat Regiment, etc. This classification of the army is a British legacy and is not sanctioned by any law made by Parliament," the petitioner said.

"In Indian Air Force and in Indian Navy there is no such discriminatory classification of Squadrons/Fleets based on caste/religion/region and hence recruitment in Indian Air Force and Indian Navy is on all-India, all-class basis. Yet in Army alone there are caste/religion/region based regiments," the petitioner said.

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Reader's Comments (5)| Post a Comment

Fe Comment

ajit singh | 14-Dec-2012Reply | Forward

This is a bare fact that vacancies of jawans in Infantry, Armd. Corps & various other wings are fulfilled on castewise pattern and not on the merit. This not only encourages tribalism but it also debars a major section of Indians from serving motherland & thus there is loss of employment opportunity for majority of youth. The most fascinating example is the cavalry unit â€œPresidentâ€™s Bodyguardâ€ attached to President of India. The highest seat of Indian democracy and overall Commander of Defence forces is President and the President â€˜s Bodyguard recruits only Jats, Rajputs & Sikhs only and no other youth of any other caste is eligible to be recruited in this unit of Army, what may be the caliber of the individual. What a pity that after more than 65 years of independence, the British legacy of discrimination which is illegal & unconstitutional, still persists in Indian Army and a certain section of Army brass still advocates the need of such caste, region & religion based recruitment. In free democratic India this is not acceptable and recruitment to army should not be privilege of certain dominant castes & region and merit alone should be the sole criteria for recruitment. We are a free, democratic, secular nation where all its citizens are equal in eyes of law. Therefore, this colonial legacy of discrimination should be abolished immediately. Jai Hind.

recruitment in army

shaileshwar | 14-Dec-2012Reply | Forward

the constitution of India provides equal opportunity irrespective of caste, color/ clan/ region / religion. the present caste based recruitment is the reward given to royal/loyal class by d Britishers for their help in curbing 1857 mutiny. this design of Britishers was to keep the loyalty of the troops to their caste only. it is shameful, unconstitutional, illegal that this system has survived in free India for 60 yrs. people of India should rise against this system even if law keepers want it to survive

Recruitment in Indian Army

ajit singh | 13-Dec-2012Reply | Forward

The caste/region based recruitment in Indian Army is a British legacy, which was born after 1857 uprising with a view to divide & rule.In free democratic India there is no place for such illegal & unconstitutional policy which encourages tribalism/casteism/ regionalism. Army can not be treated as a holy cow and it has to follow democratic principles laid under our Constitution.Why there is existence of reiments like Jat,Punjab etc., why it should not be designated as BHARAT regiments only or bearing names as Bhagat Singh,Rajguru, Bismil,Shivaji, Rana Pratap etc.Why it is so that a certain section of society has got regiments in their name only, are other Indians less patriotic or brave as compared to these certain classes.This type of recruitment and regimentation has not got any sanction from law/parliament and this ha to go out.Why it is so that President's Bodyguard attached with President of India recruits Rajputs, Jats & Sikhs only.This is not acceptable in free democratic India.