#gender discrimination

The Supreme Court has ruled that excluding married daughters from the definition of 'family' for compassionate allotment of fair price shops violates constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination. The judgment mandates that dependency and residence, not marital status, must determine eligibility - empowering millions of women who sustain households after a dealer's death, regardless of marriage.

The Supreme Court ruled that systemic bias in Annual Confidential Reports (ACR) grading and unequal career opportunities rendered the denial of Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers unconstitutional under Article 14. The Court directed pension benefits for released officers, emphasizing that merit-based denials cannot stand where structural discrimination is proven.

The Rajasthan High Court has ruled that denying a woman a Special Bonafide Resident Certificate solely because she moved out of a Tribal Sub-Plan area after marriage violates Article 14 and undermines the very purpose of the certificate, which is tied to ancestral residence, not marital relocation. This sets a critical precedent protecting the land and welfare rights of married women from patriarchal administrative practices in tribal regions.

The Bombay High Court has ruled that excluding granddaughters from employment benefits under land acquisition policies constitutes unlawful gender discrimination, especially when grandsons are already included. This decision binds public sector entities like Coal India to apply inclusive family definitions, reinforcing Article 14 protections for female heirs in state-sponsored rehabilitation schemes.

Bombay HC Nagpur Bench rules that denying compassionate appointment to married daughters solely on marital status violates constitutional principles of non-discrimination. The judgment mandates reconsideration of applications without bias, reinforcing gender equality in public employment.

Chhattisgarh High Court holds that sisters cannot be excluded from compassionate appointment under NCWA Clause 9.3.3, affirming gender equality under Articles 14 and 15.