Forest Department Recruitment: Haryana govt clarifies chest measurement rule for women

Chandigarh, July 8

After former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala objected to the practice of measuring the chest of women candidates for recruitment to the posts of Forest Ranger and Deputy Forest Ranger, the state government has issued a clarification.

An official spokesperson said the recruitment is being done on the basis of the Haryana Forest Service (Executive) Group C Rules, 1998, wherein the physical standards for height and chest for both men and women have been prescribed.

In the past also, all such recruitments have been done on the basis of these physical standards. Consequent to these rules, 22 women forest guards and four women foresters have been recruited over the years, added the spokesperson.

Even the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in its model guidelines, has prescribed physical standards for measuring the height and chest of both men and women during the recruitment process, said the spokesperson.

It is important to mention here that only women doctors and staff are deployed for taking physical measurements of women candidates during the recruitment process.

“This shall be strictly followed during this year’s selection process too,” said the spokesperson. He added that Punjab also follows specific standards related to physical measurements for both men and women candidates while recruiting the forest field staff.