PWDs Clearing General Cutoff Should Be Counted as Open Category: Supreme Court to Centre

The Supreme Court questioned why persons with disabilities (PWD) who clear the open (unreserved) category cutoff are not being treated as general category candidates in public education or employment.

The bench, Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, expressed concern that this practice blocks upward movement in merit lists, depriving lower-scoring PWDs of opportunities reserved for them. 

The Court notes that similar provisions are made for caste-based reserved categories, and the RPwD Act, 2016, enshrines equality and non-discrimination.

The Court has asked the Union Government to explain the steps taken to rectify this by October 14.