Sikhs wearing kara/kirpan to be allowed to take DSSSB exam if they reach 1 hr before time, HC told
New Delhi(PTI): The Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) informed the Delhi High Court on Friday it has decided to allow Sikh candidates to appear in examinations with metallic kara (bangle) or kirpan (dagger) subject to their reaching the centre at least one hour before the reporting time.
Taking into consideration the submissions of the counsel for the DSSSB, a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said no further orders are required to be passed and disposed of the petition filed by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
The bench noted the board has issued revised guidelines which make it clear that it has taken a decision to allow Sikh candidates wearing kara and/or kirpan to take the examination.
However, such persons shall report at the examination centre at least one hour before the reporting time or else they will not be allowed to sit for the exam.
It is clear (from the guidelines) that if in screening, any candidate is found carrying any suspicious item in kara or kirpan, he or she will not be permitted to appear in the exam, the court noted.
Earlier, in July, a single judge of the high court had held as unsustainable a Sikh woman candidate being prevented from appearing in a competitive examination till she removed her metallic kara despite reaching the examination centre before the closing time in terms of the admit card.
The petitioner woman, who had challenged the denial of permission to her to appear in the PGT-Economics (Female) examination, argued the action by the authorities cannot be sustained on the ground that there was already a notification informing the candidates desirous of wearing a kara and/or kirpan to reach the examination centre at least one hour before the reporting time as it was notified two days after the examination was held.
The single judge had said it was highly unfortunate that a specialised body like DSSSB, which regularly holds examinations with a large number of Sikh candidates appearing, did not take timely action to inform the candidates about the conditions related to the two Sikh religious symbols.
The court had then directed the DSSSB to ensure that adequate notice, which is well in advance, is given concerning the additional requirement to reach the examination centre one hour before the reporting time in case a candidate is wearing a kara and/or kirpan so no undue hardship is caused to them.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
