Nitisha vs Union of India - 2021 Supreme(SC) 166

Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2021 Supreme(SC) 166

D. Y. CHANDRACHUD, M R SHAH
Nitisha – Appellant
Versus
Union of India – Respondent

Advocates appeared:
For the Petitioner(s): Mr. P.S. Patwalia, Sr. Adv. WP 1109/20 Mr. Rakesh Kumar, AOR Mr. Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Adv. Ms. Alka Verma, Adv.
For the WP 34/21 : Mr. P.S. Patwalia, Sr. Adv. Mr. Sudhanshu S. Pandey, Adv. Mr. Gaichangpou Gangmei, AOR
For the WP 1469/20 : Mr. Tarunvir Singh Khehar, Adv. Mr. Shankar Divate, AOR Ms. Guneet Khehar, Adv.
For the WP 1223/20 : Mr. Huzefa A. Ahmadi, Sr. Adv. Mr. Rakesh Kumar, AOR Ms. Shahrukh Alam, Adv. Ms. Frida Nicholas, Adv. Ms. Alka Verma, Adv. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Adv.
For the WP 1457/2020 : Mr. Sudhanshu S. Pandey, Adv. Mr. Gaichangpou Gangmei, AOR Mr. Abhishek R Shukla, Adv. Mr. Arjun D. Singh, Adv.
For the WP 1158/20 : Mr. Mohan Kumar, AOR
For the WP 1172/20 : Ms. Meenakshi Arora, Sr. Adv. Ms. Archana Pathak Dave, AOR Ms. Chitrangda Rastravara, Adv. Mr. Jaideep Singh, Adv. Mr. Manvendra Singh Rathore, Adv. Mr. Dashrath Singh, Adv. Ms. Vanya Gupta, Adv. Mr. Kumar Prashant, Adv. Mr. Parmod Vishnoi, Adv. Ms. Himanshi Shakya, Adv.
For the Respondent(s): Mr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, AOR Mr. Anas Tanwir, AOR Mr. Venkatesh, Adv. Mr. Nitin Saluja, AOR Ms. Shivani Luthra Lohiya, Adv. Mr. Siddharth Joshi, Adv. Mr. Neil Chatterji, Adv. Mr. Suhael Buttan, Adv. Mr. Anant Singh Ubeja, Adv. Mr. Abhishek Nangia, Adv. Mr. Aditya Ajay, Adv. Sasha Maria Pau, Adv.

JUDGMENT :

Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, J.

This judgment has been divided into the following sections to facilitate analysis:

A A long and winding road

B Steps for implementing the decision in Babita Puniya

C Criteria for the grant of PCs

C.1 Medical Criteria

C.2 Substantive Assessment for PC

D Evaluation of the credentials of 615 Women SSCOs

E Submissions

E.1 Submissions of petitioners

E.2 Submissions of the respondents

E.3 The petitioners in rejoinder

F Systemic Discrimination

F.1 Theoretical Foundations of Indirect Discrimination

F.2 Position in the United States

F.3 Position in the United Kingdom

F.4 Position in South Africa

F.5 Position in Canada

F.6 Evolving an analytical framework for indirect discrimination in India:

F.7 Systemic Discrimination as antithetical to Substantive Equality

G Analysis

G.1 Selection Process & Criteria set by the Army

G.2 Benchmarking with the Lowest Male Officer

G.3 Reliance on Annual Confidential Reports

G.4 Medical Criteria

G.5 WSSCOs belonging to WSES(O) 27-31 and SSC(T&NT) 1-3 who had not completed 14 years of service as on the date of Babita Puniya

H Conclusion and d

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2021 Supreme(SC) 166

D. Y. CHANDRACHUD, M R SHAHNitisha – AppellantVersusUnion of India – Respondent

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D. Y. CHANDRACHUD, M R SHAH
Nitisha – Appellant
Versus
Union of India – Respondent