Disabled fail to make CSE quota

The Disability Act implemented a decade ago to reserve 3 per cent seats in the Civil Services Examination for those with physical disabilities has failed to clear the way for such candidates.

The Disability Act implemented a decade ago to reserve 3 per cent seats in the Civil Services Examination CSE for those with physical disabilities has failed to clear the way for such candidates. Of the 12 disabled people who cleared the CSE this year, with the quota being implemented for the first time, three hearing impaired people are yet to be placed as the Department of Personnel 038; Training has not been able to ascertain the extent of of their disability.

Abhijit Chakraborty, a Kolkata resident, who ranked 424 in the CSE, has a 50 per cent hearing impairment as certified by MR Bangur Hospital in Kolkata in 2004. The DoPT, however, felt that he was 8220;stone deaf8221; and asked him to get a medical test done at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi8212;which declared him 100 per cent deaf.

When Chakraborty8212;who can easily converse with people using hearing aid8212;challenged this, he was referred to Ram Manohar Lohia RML Hospital. Chakraborty took a flight to Delhi to keep the deadline, only to be told that the audiometry technician at RML was on leave. Chakraborty is considering opting out of the CSE, having been asked to prove his disability several times over now.

Salma Fahim from Bangalore is 55 per cent deaf as certified by a city hospital and later by RML where she was referred to for another medical test. Safdarjung Hospital, however, certified her 38 per cent deaf8212;2 per cent short of the eligibility criterion under the disability quota. The result: Salma is waiting to get a placement in the IAS for which she has qualified, but the DoPT cannot decide if she is 8220;deaf enough8221;.

Javed Abidi, executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, is now taking up the issue. 8220;This is particularly distressing as DoPT8212;the department in charge of sending notices to agencies not implementing the disability quota8212;is itself creating major problems for its implementation. Despite the prime minister having approved the appointment of a disabled person to the Indian Revenue Service IRS last year, these problems continue,8221; said Abidi.

Abidi also pointed out, 8220;Mani Ram Sharma who is stone deaf qualifies for just two services but even he has not been allocated any service.8221; He said that in Salma8217;s case, their indecision forced her to run from pillar to post. Abhijit, who is partially deaf and qualifies for the Indian Information Service, too is being repeatedly harassed. 8220;Why is their medical certificate 8230; not being accepted by DoPT,8221; asked Abidi.

The department says that these cases are being considered.