Supreme Court Mandates UPSC to Enhance Examination Accessibility for Disabled Candidates

Landmark ruling ensures assistive technologies and flexible scribe policies for PwBD candidates in civil service exams.

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to implement measures ensuring accessibility and inclusion for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) in the Civil Services Examination. The judgment, delivered by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, emphasizes the constitutional mandates of equality, dignity, and non-discrimination, requiring substantive inclusion in public examinations.

The court responded to a petition filed by Mission Accessibility, which sought the implementation of screen reader software, accessible digital question papers, and flexible scribe registration for visually impaired candidates. The petition argued that the existing requirements were arbitrary and violated Articles 14, 16, and 21 of the Constitution, as well as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

The Supreme Court has directed UPSC to introduce assistive technologies, such as screen reader software, and to adopt uniform guidelines to ensure accessibility for PwBD candidates. The court also mandated UPSC to allow requests for a change of scribe up to seven days prior to the examination, with such requests to be decided within three working days.

While UPSC has agreed in principle to introduce screen reader software, the court noted that the necessary infrastructure is not yet in place and has urged for coordination with state authorities and relevant institutions to expedite implementation. The court has set a timeline for UPSC to file a comprehensive compliance affidavit detailing the proposed plan of action for deploying these technologies.

This ruling underscores the need for progressive policies to translate into effective implementation, ensuring that the constitutional vision of equal opportunity is realized for all candidates. The court has scheduled a follow-up for February 2026 to assess compliance with its directives.

Bottom Line:

The rights of persons with disabilities to equal opportunity in public examinations must be safeguarded under the constitutional mandates of equality, dignity, and non-discrimination. The Union Public Service Commission is directed to ensure accessibility and inclusion for PwBD candidates in civil service examinations.

Statutory provision(s): Articles 14, 16, 21 of the Constitution of India, Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, Civil Services Examination Rules, 2025.

Mission Accessibility v. Union of India, (SC) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2817102