Can't tell women not to work at night: Supreme Court on West Bengal's no night shift policy for women doctors

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the West Bengal government cannot prevent women doctors from working night shifts or beyond 12-hour shifts..Women do not want concessions, only equal opportunities, the Court added while hearing a suo motu case regarding the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the State-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra made the comment after it was informed that the State, as part of recent security measures, has notified that the women doctors' night duty may be avoided.CJI Chandrachud took a strong exception to this and said the State must roll back the decision and allow the women doctors to work at par with their male counterparts."How can that be? Women do not want concessions, but equal opportunities... women doctors are willing to work in all conditions. They must work in all conditions... State of West Bengal has to correct it. You cannot say that women doctors cannot work beyond 12 hour shift and not at night... armed forces, etc. all work at night, which includes women," he said..Solicitor General Tushar Mehta added that the Central government could provide security for women doctors if the State government was not willing to provide it. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the State government, submitted that the State would issue a notification to correct it. He also said it was only a temporary security measure.CJI Chandrachud said it was the State's duty to provide security and that no woman in the country can be told that they cannot work at night."We cannot tell any woman today in our country, who is in the workforce, that you will not work at night," he remarked. .The Bench was hearing a suo motu case regarding the rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor, who was found dead at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.The doctor was found dead at a seminar hall of the college on August 9. An autopsy confirmed that she was raped and murdered.The incident has sparked nationwide outrage and protests with doctors in various parts of the country going on strike demanding stricter laws and policing to ensure the safety of medical professionals.The matter is currently being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe to the central agency..[Read Live Coverage]