Delhi High Court to Government: Grant concessions to disabled as to SC/ST
In a landmark case Tushar Deshmukh vs. Union Of India filed by the Disability Law Initiative, the Delhi High Court has declared that disabled persons in India face at least as much socio-economic disadvantage as the Schedules Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) category of persons and therefore concessions and benefits in Government employment must be provided to them as provided to the SC/ST category. This judgment assumes importance in that employment is a critical requirement for integration and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, but without providing concessions such as relaxation in selection standards, the legal provision for affirmative action for disabled persons in employment remains only on paper. In the instant case, by it’s judgment dated October 13, 2014, the Delhi High Court agreed with DLI’s contention that disabled persons from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) sections of society must be allowed additional attempts at the Indian Civil Service Examinations so as to enable them to qualify and be selected for jobs in the Civil Services such as IAS, IFS etc that are reserved for them.