The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on a petition demanding one per cent reservation for candidates with blindness and low vision in the Combined Medical Services Examination (CMSE).
A bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notice to the UPSC, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD). The authorities have been directed to file their replies within four weeks, with the matter listed for further hearing on December 3.
The petition was filed by the organisation Mission Accessibility, represented by advocate Rahul Bajaj, who argued that the statutory mandate under Section 34(1)(a) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, requires at least one per cent reservation in all recruitment cycles for persons with blindness or low vision.
The plea highlighted the case of one of the organisation’s members who appeared for CMSE-2024 as a blind candidate. Despite securing the minimum qualifying marks prescribed for the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category, he was not called for the interview due to the absence of any reserved vacancies for his disability category.
The petition, filed through advocates Amritesh Mishra and Sarah, argued that the UPSC, as the conducting body for CMSE recruitment to Central Health Services, Indian Railways, and other government posts, has failed to comply with statutory obligations.
Quoting Section 34 of the Act, the plea pointed out that government establishments are required to reserve at least four per cent of vacancies for PwBD, with a minimum of one per cent specifically for blindness and low vision.
The petition noted that UPSC’s notifications for CMSE-2024 and CMSE-2025 did not earmark a single vacancy for blind or low vision candidates. Despite 705 vacancies being advertised in CMSE-2025, none were reserved for this category, raising what the petitioner described as a “reasonable apprehension” that the injustice faced in 2024 would persist.
“In a country where there is a well-acknowledged shortage of medical professionals, there is no rational basis to exclude doctors with blindness or low vision—especially those who have duly completed their MBBS degrees and compulsory internships—from service opportunities,” the plea stated.
It further argued that with suitable accommodations, doctors with blindness or low vision are fully capable of discharging essential duties in public healthcare.
The petitioner has urged the court to:
- Direct the DEPwD to identify posts within CMSE that can be occupied by blind and low vision candidates.
- Instruct the DoPT, DEPwD, and Union Ministry of Health to work out reasonable accommodations to enable such candidates to perform their roles.
The High Court will now hear the matter on December 3 after receiving responses from the concerned authorities.
