In a first of its kind, the Karnataka High Court has permitted a woman lawyer, who is eight months pregnant, to write a judicial service main examination at her place.
The written examination for cadre of civil judges is scheduled to be held on November 18 and 19 only at centres in Bengaluru.
On March 9, 2023, the High Court had issued notification for recruitment to 57 vacant posts of civil judges. On July 23, 2023, more than 6,000 candidates appeared for the preliminary examination and 1,022 candidates cleared the same.
Nethravathi, an advocate from Dakshina Kannada, had qualified for the main written examination.
She had submitted a request to permit her to take up the examination at the district court complex at Mangaluru, as she is unable to travel due to her eight-and-a-half-months-old pregnancy and delicate health condition.
The matter was put up before the High Court’s committee pertaining to recruitment of civil judges comprising Justices P S Dinesh Kumar, K Somashekar, Sunil Dutt Yadav, Ashok S Kinagi and M Nagaprasanna. The committee considered her application and granted her permission to write examination at Mangaluru and the decision was approved by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale.
The principal district and sessions judge, Mangaluru, has been directed to make necessary medical arrangements in case of emergency. Meanwhile, K S Bharath Kumar, Registrar General of the Chief Justice has deputed a lady judicial officer from Bengaluru as observer to conduct the main examination at district court complex at Mangaluru for advocate Nethravathi.
Published 17 November 2023, 21:48 IST