The Delhi High Court has raised concerns over the stringent fitness timelines imposed on pregnant women candidates aspiring to join the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), describing the six-week recovery period mandated post-pregnancy as “extremely short.” The court has called for a review of this guideline to potentially extend the period allowed for these candidates to regain their fitness post-delivery.
During a recent hearing, Justices Rekha Palli and Shalinder Kaur addressed the case of a young mother who aspired to join the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. Despite passing the necessary tests, she was deemed medically unfit due to being “overweight,” a judgment based on a medical examination conducted just four months following her delivery.
The court highlighted the discrepancy between the CAPF’s current policy, which grants only a six-week recovery window for pregnancy under the Guidelines of Recruitment Medical Examination, and the more generous provisions under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, which acknowledges the need for a longer recovery period for new mothers. The justices emphasized that achieving full medical fitness and returning to pre-pregnancy weight within such a brief window is unfeasible for many women.
This policy came under scrutiny when the petitioner, after delivering her child, was unable to meet the CAPF’s fitness standards within the allotted time. Her situation was further complicated by conflicting Body Mass Index (BMI) readings; while the CAPF medical board recorded her BMI at 25.3, an examination at a government hospital in Gwalior shortly afterward recorded it at 24.8, just under the CAPF’s cutoff of 25.
The court has directed the additional director general (medical) of the CAPF to consult with medical specialists to revisit and potentially revise the fitness recovery timeline to be more accommodating to the physiological realities faced by postpartum women. Additionally, it ordered that the petitioner be re-examined by a fresh medical board within a week. If her BMI is found to be below the threshold, she is to be appointed as a constable within four weeks, illustrating the court’s commitment to fair consideration of the unique challenges faced by women in uniform.
