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While noting that the armed forces are a homogenous unit that should not be divided on the basis of caste, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for caste reservations in admission to the NDA.

An IA was filed in the petition filed for intake of women in the National Defence Academy, Rashtriya Indian Military College and other military schools

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh clarified that it was not inclined to hear the IA seeking caste based reservation.

The bench orally observed that  caste reservation in military schools could not be allowed. It added that the constitutional provisions for reservation did not work in this way.

"We are focused on gender issues and would not want you to divide it into other issues of caste, etc.,” the bench remarked.

“A revolution doesn’t come overnight. It takes time. There is a beginning made. Social changes take some time and here, the first chapter has been written. Let the first chapter get over,” the bench further said.

Also, ASG Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the central government told the court that vacancies for women candidates had been created for the military college while the same course would be followed for the military schools as well.

Bhati added that some girls were admitted to Sainik Schools on an experimental basis. “That experiment was successful. But I don’t have the exact data in this regard,” she submitted.

To this the Court asked Bhati to submit the relevant data by the next date of hearing i.e., July 19.