Chandigarh: The Haryana government’s new rule to measure women’s chests for recruitment in the Forest department has led to a furore.
According to the order issued by the state government, physical measurement tests of female CET candidates for posts of Forest Ranger, Deputy Forest Ranger and Forester will start on July 12.
Specifications have been given for ‘unexpanded chest’ and ‘expanded chest’.
Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala took offence to the rule for women, and came down heavily on the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government, calling it a ‘Tughlaqi decree’.
“On July 7, 2023, due notice has been issued saying that the ‘unexpanded chest’ of the candidates for these posts should be 74 cm and the ‘expanded chest’ should be 79 cm. Don’t Khattar ji-Dushyant Chautala know that even in the recruitment of women police constables and women SI police in Haryana, the ‘chest’ of the candidates is not measured? Don’t Khattar ji-Dushyant Chautala know that even in the Central Police Organisation there is no standard to measure the ‘chest’ of women?” Surjewala tweeted.
He claimed that the Haryana government’s order was “against daughters”, and reminded the CM that such rules did not exist in the recruitment of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
The Congress leader demanded that the rule be pulled down with immediate effect and give a chance to all applicants.
“Why this cruel, childish and stupid condition in the recruitment of Forest Ranger and Deputy Ranger to humiliate the daughters of Haryana? We demand that Khattar saheb should immediately apologise to the daughters of Haryana and withdraw this condition,” Surjewala stated.
However, Haryana Staff Selection Commission chairman Bhopal Singh Khatri said that the rule had already been incorporated and advertisements published for these posts.
“It was already said that such a test would be done. Only lady doctors and lady coaches will be included this month,” Singh said.
