CJI to WB: Ensure Security, Can’t Bar Women Doctors from Night Shifts

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New Delhi, September 17

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday strongly criticised the West Bengal government’s directive instructing state-run hospitals to refrain from assigning night shifts to women doctors. The West Bengal government has issued notification following the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The Chief Justice emphasised that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of women, not restrict their work opportunities. “How can you say women cannot work at night? Why limit women doctors? They don’t want a concession; women are ready to work in the same shift,” CJI said the news outlet India Today reported.

In his remarks directed at senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, Justice Chandrachud urged the government to amend the notification. He highlighted that the solution lies in implementing proper security measures, allowing women to work without restrictions. “Pilots, army personnel, and others work during nighttime hours,” he added, underscoring the importance of equal opportunities,  the news outlet further said.