AHMEDABAD: Gujarat HC has pulled up the state public service commission for "absolute gender insensitivity" after it turned down the request of a candidate to either postpone her interview or provide an alternative as she could not appear for the same two days after delivering a baby. The court of Justice Nikhil Kariel said interference was required in the plea filed by the candidate and issued notice to GPSC.
It also directed the commission not to declare the results of the interview for the post of assistant manager (finance and accounts) Class II for which the woman had applied.
"The grievance raised in the petition reflects the absolute gender insensitivity of the respondents towards one of the most sacred natural processes i.e. of
giving birth
to a child," the court observed, in an order dated January 9.
The petitioner, who cleared the written exam for selection to the post advertised by GPSC in 2020, was informed on December 18, 2023 regarding interview dates on January 1 or 2, 2024. The same day, the petitioner wrote an email to GPSC saying she was pregnant, and that her due date was in the first week of January 2024 and it would be impossible for her to travel to Gandhinagar, almost 300 km, in the advanced stage of pregnancy.
The petitioner gave birth on December 31, 2023, and informed GPSC through an email that she had just delivered a baby and requested that the interview either be postponed or she be given an alternative solution for the same.
In its reply, GPSC asked the petitioner to remain present for the interview on January 2 and said no further time would be granted to her.
When a reasonable request was made by the candidate, it was incumbent upon GPSC to either postpone the interview process or provide an alternative solution like an online interview, if it was permissible as per the rules, the court said. Even the selection process was not going on at "a lightning pace", the court observed.
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