NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre, University Grants Commission (UGC), and National Testing Agency (NTA) on a PIL seeking exemption of women candidates from entrance exam fees charged by Central Autonomous Bodies, including IITs and AIIMS.
The plea, filed by Mona Arya, cited a 2010 government order that directed such bodies to exempt women from registration and examination fees. Arya said the directive, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, remains unimplemented, as revealed through RTI queries. A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela sought replies from the respondents.
Arya argued that non-compliance with the order violates women’s right to education and contradicts Article 15(3) of the Constitution, which permits special provisions for women and children. She said the inaction disproportionately impacts women from underprivileged backgrounds, calling it “unjust, arbitrary & unconstitutional.”