Supreme Court Ruling on Medical Admissions for Candidates with Disabilities
October 16, 2024
The Supreme Court stated that having a benchmark disability does not automatically bar a candidate from medical education.
Disability Assessment Requirement: A report from the disability assessment board is necessary to evaluate a candidate’s ability to pursue MBBS.
Case Overview: On September 18, the court allowed a candidate with 40-45% speech and language disability to gain admission.
Critique of NMC Regulations: The court criticized the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) regulations that broadly bar candidates with benchmark disabilities from medical education as overbroad.
Directive for NMC: The court directed the NMC to revise its regulations to adopt a more inclusive approach.
Individual Assessments: Justice Viswanathan emphasized that each candidate should be evaluated individually rather than denied admission solely based on disability percentage.
Judicial Review: Decisions from disability assessment boards should be subject to appeal before a judicial body.
Promotion of Inclusion: The court urged for revised regulations to embrace reasonable accommodations as per the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.
