People's Democracy

Victory for the Visually Impaired Persons

The following is the press statement issued by the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled on February 14, 2012

THE National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) congratulates the seven visually impaired persons who have finally received orders for their induction into IAS and allied services.

It may be recalled that these candidates of the 2008 batch were denied induction into the IAS and allied services because of blatant discrimination and in violation of the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995. Despite favourable orders from the courts and even the Central Administrative Tribunal the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) had refused to induct them.

The NPRD had been pursuing their case since November 2010 and had represented to various authorities. It had also met the prime minister in a delegation on November 29, 2011 and represented their case before him. Brinda Karat, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member had accompanied the delegation and had also been pursuing the matter with the ministers concerned.

Finally, the persistent efforts have paid off.  Due to the prime minister's intervention, while seven of them have received orders, two are still left out. While Ajit Kumar got IAS, Ashish Singh Thakur and Srinivas got IFS, Purnima Jain IRPS, Shravan Kumar ICA, Pavan Kumar, Indian Postal Service, Subodh Kumar got Ordinance Factory.

Brinda Karat has in a letter addressed to the prime minister on February 13, 2012 thanked him for his intervention which “has helped in setting right a blatant discrimination and violation of the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.”