No Woman Qualifies for ‘Reserved’ Fire Fighter Posts; Aid for Acid Attack Survivors

The Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) directed Panjab authorities to fill 461 vacant fire fighter posts, originally reserved for women, by appointing eligible male candidates. The court noted that ‘no female candidate cleared the physical measurement and efficiency test’ which seems a highly problematic statement considering 1,875 women appeared for the test. The recruitment was initiated on 28 Jan 2023 through an advertisement for 991 posts of fire fighters and driver-operators in municipal councils, corporations, and village councils. Of these, 461 were reserved for women. While male candidates were required to meet height, chest, and eyesight norms and to clear three physical fitness tests, women were required to meet only height and eyesight standards and were exempt from the fitness tests. The court noted that of 1,875 women who appeared, ‘none were able to clear the test.’ According to PHHC, ‘not a single woman met the basic height and eyesight norms to qualify for the posts’ which is indicative of bias in the selection process. Additionally, the court dismissed a plea for anticipatory bail filed in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 case by a 19-year-old accused in a case involving allegations of sexual assault of a minor. PHHC observed that serious charges cannot be diluted by later affidavits or claims of consent by the minor. Meanwhile, three decades after her husband died in a tractor accident, a woman has won compensation of USD 4664 along with interest and penalty. Widow Kashmir Kaur, and their young child were left without any financial support when her husband died in a tractor accident in 1996. The deceased was employed by his father as a tractor driver. The insurance company opposed the claim, arguing no genuine employer-employee relationship could exist between a father and son. PHHC held that blood relations alone cannot negate employment and referred to the Employees’ Compensation Act, which recognizes contracts of employment may be written or oral. Furthermore, the union government has approved a policy of the Chandigarh Administration for providing monthly financial assistance to acid attack survivors and directed authorities to provide USD 109 per month to each acid attack victim in the Union Territory (earlier coverage).