Legal Challenge on Eligibility of Disabled Students for MBBS Course Admission.
14 October 2024
Education >> Miscellaneous
This petition of Roshan Lal Dhanka Vs Union of India & Ors. challenges the 'Guidelines regarding admission of students with specified disabilities' under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which state that individuals with amputation are ineligible for admission to medical courses. The petitioner, who has 70% locomotor disability, was deemed ineligible for medical education by a hospital assessment after the NEET-UG 2024 results were declared. The petitioner argues that this decision prevents their participation in the counseling process and threatens their future career.
The Union of India and the National Medical Commission were notified of the petition, and attention was drawn to earlier interim orders in similar cases. These orders involved cases of applicants with locomotor disabilities being assessed for eligibility to pursue medical courses. Based on these precedents, the Court directed the Director of AIIMS to form a board of experts to re-assess the petitioner's disability and determine whether they are capable of pursuing the MBBS course and performing the required functions of an MBBS doctor. The report of this evaluation must be submitted to the court within a week.
The petitioner is scheduled to undergo a medical examination at AIIMS on 16th October 2024, and the court will reconvene to review the findings on 22nd October 2024.
RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, 2016