The Supreme Court has disposed of a petition filed by Urvashi Sengar, a 2023-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, declining her request to join the ongoing Phase-II training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), Hyderabad, midway through the programme. At the same time, the apex court has directed the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to independently decide her challenge to a three-decade-old Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) policy that requires women IPS probationers to wait one year after childbirth before resuming training.
The case has attracted nationwide attention because it raises larger constitutional questions about gender equality, maternity rights and whether service rules framed more than three decades ago remain consistent with modern medical science and constitutional principles.
While refusing to permit Sengar’s entry into the ongoing training course, the Supreme Court left the legal challenge to the controversial 1993 policy entirely open, making it clear that the Tribunal would examine the issue independently without being influenced by observations made by the Delhi High Court.
Supreme Court Sends Matter Back to CAT
The order was passed by a Bench comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, bringing the legal proceedings back before the Central Administrative Tribunal, where Sengar’s original application challenging the 1993 Office Memorandum is already pending.
During the hearing, the Centre informed the Court that the substantive issue concerning the validity of the Ministry of Home Affairs policy was already under consideration before the Tribunal.
Taking note of this, the Supreme Court disposed of the petition and directed the CAT to decide the matter on its own merits.
Importantly, the Bench instructed that the Tribunal should not be influenced by any observations previously made by the Delhi High Court while hearing the Union government’s challenge against the interim relief granted to Sengar.
By adopting this course, the Supreme Court refrained from expressing any final opinion on the constitutional validity of the policy, leaving all legal questions open for detailed examination by the Tribunal.
Court Refuses Midway Entry into Phase-II Training
One of the immediate issues before the Supreme Court was whether Urvashi Sengar should be allowed to join the ongoing Phase-II training at the National Police Academy after the programme had already begun.
Appearing for the Centre, government counsel informed the Bench that the Phase-II training commenced on June 22, 2026, and nearly three weeks of the nine-week programme had already been completed.
The government submitted that the training is intensive in nature and requires a minimum attendance of 95 percent.
It also explained that the opening weeks include several crucial components, including:
Physical training.
Field visits.
Cadre-specific instructional modules.
Practical exercises essential to police training.
After considering these submissions, the Bench observed that nearly one-third of the programme had already concluded.
Allowing an officer to enter at such a late stage, the Court noted, would deprive her of significant portions of the curriculum and would not amount to meaningful or complete training.
When Sengar’s counsel suggested that she be allowed to attend the remaining sessions of the programme, the Bench reportedly described the proposal as “absurd,” indicating that partial participation would defeat the very purpose of the structured training schedule.
Seniority Should Not Be Affected, Court Observes
Although the Court declined to permit Sengar to join the ongoing course midway, it also made an important observation regarding her career progression.
The Bench indicated that her seniority should not suffer merely because of the delay in completing the training.
This observation is significant because seniority in the IPS often affects future promotions, postings and career advancement.
By separating the issue of training from that of seniority, the Court acknowledged that an officer should not necessarily be disadvantaged in service merely because legal proceedings regarding maternity-related rules remain pending.
However, the Court did not issue detailed directions on this aspect, leaving the matter to be addressed through appropriate legal and administrative processes.
The Core Challenge – A 1993 MHA Policy
At the heart of the dispute lies a Ministry of Home Affairs Office Memorandum issued in 1993.
The policy provides that if a woman IPS probationer becomes pregnant during training, she must discontinue the programme and can resume it only after one year following childbirth.
According to Sengar, this blanket restriction fails to consider individual medical fitness and treats all women officers alike irrespective of their physical condition or the nature of the training involved.
She has argued that the policy reflects an outdated approach that ignores advances in medical science as well as constitutional guarantees of equality.
The challenge also questions whether a mandatory one-year waiting period is justified when an officer has already been declared medically fit to resume duty.
Background of the Dispute
Urvashi Sengar gave birth to her child on September 20, 2025.
After completing the required recovery period, she obtained a medical fitness certificate approximately nine months later and requested permission to participate in the classroom-based Phase-II training beginning on June 22, 2026.
However, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy declined her request, citing the 1993 Ministry of Home Affairs policy.
Following the rejection, she approached the Central Administrative Tribunal seeking relief.
The Tribunal initially granted her interim relief and permitted her to undergo the training.
The Union government challenged that interim order before the Delhi High Court, which subsequently stayed the Tribunal’s decision.
The litigation eventually reached the Supreme Court.
Earlier Supreme Court Observations Raised Constitutional Questions
During earlier hearings in the matter, the Supreme Court had made observations that sparked widespread discussion across legal and administrative circles.
The Bench questioned whether a welfare provision framed to protect women could become an obstacle to their professional advancement.
The judges observed that if an officer is medically fit, the policy should not automatically prevent her from pursuing her career.
Although those remarks were made during preliminary hearings and do not constitute the Court’s final opinion, they triggered an important national conversation about maternity-related service rules applicable to women in uniformed services.
Legal experts, retired civil servants and gender rights advocates have since debated whether existing regulations adequately reflect evolving constitutional values relating to equality, dignity and non-discrimination.
A Case That Could Influence Service Rules
While the Supreme Court has not ruled on the legality of the policy, the Tribunal’s eventual decision could have wider implications beyond Urvashi Sengar’s individual case.
The challenge raises important constitutional issues concerning:
Equality before law.
Gender justice.
Maternity rights.
Service conditions in uniformed forces.
Individual medical assessment versus blanket administrative rules.
If the Tribunal ultimately finds merit in Sengar’s arguments, the decision could influence future maternity policies governing training in the IPS and possibly other uniformed services.
Who Is IPS Officer Urvashi Sengar?
Urvashi Sengar belongs to the 2023 batch of the Indian Police Service and was allotted the Madhya Pradesh cadre.
Born on June 30, 1995, in Gwalior, she comes from a modest background.
Her father, an electrician, reportedly sold a plot of land to finance her civil services preparation.
She completed her schooling in Hindi medium up to Class XII before pursuing both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from KRG Girls College, Gwalior.
Before entering the IPS, she had successfully cleared the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission examination and secured selection as a Naib Tehsildar.
However, determined to fulfil her ambition of joining the All India Services, she chose not to accept that appointment and continued preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
On her third attempt, she secured All India Rank 532, earning selection to the Indian Police Service.
She formally joined the IPS on November 13, 2023, and was subsequently posted as Assistant Superintendent of Police (Probationary) in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh.
A Legal Battle with Wider Significance
Although the Supreme Court has declined Urvashi Sengar’s request to join the current Phase-II training midway, it has left open the far more significant legal issue concerning the validity of the 1993 Ministry of Home Affairs policy.
The Central Administrative Tribunal will now examine whether a mandatory one-year waiting period after childbirth remains constitutionally sustainable in today’s legal and medical landscape.
The outcome is likely to be watched closely by civil servants, legal experts, women’s rights advocates and policymakers, as it has the potential to shape future service rules governing maternity and training across India’s uniformed services.
For now, the immediate training issue has been settled, but the larger constitutional debate over balancing motherhood with equal career opportunities in public service is far from over.
