Supreme Court Asks Centre To Sensitively Consider Plea To Include Disabled Persons In IPS, IRPFS, DANIPS Services

A Bench of Justices Abdul Nazeer and V Ramasubramanian was considering a petition filed by an NGO, National Platform For The Rights Of The Disabled challenging the blanket exclusion of disabled persons from the abovementioned services.

"Indication of this Court's interim orders is that you [Centre] must consider it sensitively."

Attorney General for India R Venkataramani assured that Court that the Centre is looking into the matter and requested for some time to consider the matter.

"Lordships may keep it after 2 weeks. We are positively inclined to accommodate them…..The Committee constitutes of experts in the field…..had applied its mind. We can make some slight modifications."

The Bench then said,

"Then we will see. They may not fit into all categories, please examine that. Some bifurcations may be required."

AG also informed that the Centre would will file a response to the petitioner's latest affidavit.

At this juncture, recalling an experience from his past, Justice Ramasubramanian shared an incident in open court.

"I was sharing an experience with my brother. There was a judge with 100% blindness in Tamil Nadu. Many took him for a ride, got all orders signed by him. Then we made him editor of a Tamil Law Journal. But he was unhappy because he wanted to do judicial work. So, what do we do? It is easy to argue but difficult to judge."

As the matter drew to a close, the Bench reminded. "Sympathy is one aspect, practicality is another aspect".

The matter will be heard next after 8 weeks.

In March, this year, by way of an interim order, the Court had allowed physically disabled persons have cleared the Civil Services exams to apply provisionally to the aforesaid exams.

In September, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday suggested the Union Government to be sensitive while dealing with the applications filed by physically disabled persons who had cleared civil services exams to apply for Indian Police Service, Indian Railways Protection Force Service and Delhi, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Police Service.

Case Title: National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled versus Union of India| WP(c) 1343/2021