The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the mere existence of a benchmark disability can’t be a barrier to admission in medical courses.
A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai, Aravind Kumar, and K.V. Viswanathan emphasized that having a benchmark disability alone should not disqualify candidates from pursuing MBBS degrees.
The court directed that any board assessing a candidate’s disability must explicitly state whether the condition will hinder the candidate’s ability to complete their course. This ruling stemmed from a petition filed by a candidate with speech and language disabilities who sought admission to medical programs.
On September 18, the Supreme Court had already ordered that a seat be kept vacant for the disabled candidate pending the court’s decision. The petitioner was disqualified solely based on the percentage of their speech and language disability.
The Certifying Authority had determined that candidates with a disability exceeding 40% were ineligible, and since the petitioner’s condition was assessed at 44%, they were deemed ineligible.
This judgment reinforces the principle that disability should not automatically disqualify individuals from education opportunities, particularly in the medical field, where diverse abilities can contribute to effective healthcare.
The court’s clear instructions aim to ensure that candidates with disabilities are evaluated fairly and equitably.
