All Disabled Candidates Can Use Scribes to Write Exam: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled that all persons with disabilities can take scribes to write their exams even if they do not meet the benchmark disability criteria of 40 percent. 

The petitioner was diagnosed with focal hand dystonia, a type of Writer’s Cramp and under the Act, he was assessed with 25% permanent disability.

The Bench directed the Union government to revise its 2022 memorandum, removing distinctions between persons with disabilities and persons with benchmark disabilities (40% or more disability).

The court held that denying a scribe or extra time violates the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 (Act) emphasizing that reasonable accommodation is essential for equality.

The court followed the precedent in Vikas Kumar v. UPSC (2021).