The Hindu : New Delhi News : High Court notices to Centre and UPSC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 13, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

High Court notices to Centre and UPSC

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on a petition by a physically challenged aspirant seeking 10 attempts for candidates with physical disabilities in UPSC examinations.

Justice Vikramjit Sen of the High Court directed UPSC and the Centre to file replies to the petition within four weeks and posted the matter on March 3 for further hearing.

However, Mr. Justice Sen refused to stay the preliminary test for the services to be held in May 2006 as sought by the petitioner, Sunil Kumar.

He submitted that candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes have unlimited attempts to take the examinations and Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates seven attempts, physically challenged candidates have been equated with general category ones and given only four attempts.

The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities had in his reports in 2000-2001 and 2002- 2003 recommended increasing the number of opportunities for the physically challenged candidates, the petitioner said.

Mr. Kumar urged the Court to direct the Centre to change the norms and give a maximum of 10 opportunities to the physically challenged candidates.

He alleged that the present norms are violative of Articles 14, 15 (3&4) and 16 (1) of the Constitution, which provides for special benefits for persons with physical disabilities.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi