High court lets pregnant woman write KPSC exam in Kalaburagi
Candidate in advanced pregnancy granted relief after court overrules KPSC's refusal
The Karnataka High Court has stepped in to save a woman candidate who is in the last stages of her pregnancy by ordering the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) to conduct the test to the petitioner as per her choice and convenience.
Mahalaxmi, the petitioner, was granted relief after Justice Chillakur Sumalatha issued the directive while disposing of her case.
Due to her physical condition, the petitioner went to the court to ask KPSC to permit her to attend the main test for Group-A posts, which are set for April 15–19, 2025, at Kalaburagi, stated a report by The Times of India.
The exams are scheduled to be held in centres across Bengaluru and Dharwad.
The petitioner stated that she lives in Kalaburagi and that she has been told by doctors not to travel. The court was informed that her health would be at risk if she were to travel to appear for the exam.
However, KPSC contended that tests will be carried out under CCTV camera observation and with tight security.
According to The Times of India, the commission claimed in court that, "All the arrangements for conducting the examination are in the cities of Bengaluru and Dharwad. In case the petitioner intends to write the examination, she has to do so at the allotted centre. For the convenience of a single candidate, KPSC cannot take up the hectic exercise of conducting the examination in Kalaburagi”.
After examining the documents, Justice Chillakur Sumalatha stated that the Constitution guarantees the right to a living. When a woman becomes pregnant, she will have no choice but to beget the child.
According to TOI, the judge also notes that while termination of pregnancy is allowed under exceptional circumstances, the state had submitted that it could not allocate resources to conduct an examination for a single deserving candidate. It was further remarked that although crores of rupees are spent on elections and by-elections across the country, public money is often wasted due to poor planning and lack of vision.
In contrast, the state’s unwillingness to spend for an individual applicant was highlighted. It was also pointed out that the framers of the Constitution, recognising that women require special consideration, had ensured certain exclusive privileges for them under Part III of the Constitution.
The petitioner's inability to travel to either Dharwad or Bengaluru prompted the judge to order KPSC to conduct the examination at Kalaburagi. Additionally, the authorities were instructed to notify the petitioner by April 9 of the exam center in Kalaburagi.
