News : Appoint blind man who cleared Civil Service exam in 2006

Two years after a visually impaired man cleared the Civil Services Exam, he is set to become a public servant as the Delhi High Court today directed the UPSC to appoint him within six weeks.

Imposing a cost of Rs 25,000 on the Department Of Personnel and Training (DOPT) for the delay in his appointment and forcing Ravi Prakash to file a case over the issue, a Division Bench of Justice A K Sikri and Justice Suresh Kaith further directed the government to fill seven other posts, lying vacant since 1996, under the quota for disabled persons.

The Bench accepted the arguments of S K Rungta, the counsel appearing for Ravi Prakash, that as per the Disabilities Act the government should give one per cent to the visually challenged out of three per cent reservation for the handicapped persons in the appointment of government jobs.

Since 1996, the government has not filled the posts for visually handicapped persons and by now there are eight such posts which are vacant, Rungta added in his argument.

Prakash cleared the civil service examination in 2006 but was denied appointment by the DOPT on the ground that there was only one post meant for handicapped persons.

Being aggrieved of the decision taken by the government, he approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) which dismissed his plea. Finally, he approached the High Court challenging the CAT order.

Source: Zeenews.com