Supreme Court Ruling on Disability and Medical Course Admissions
The Supreme Court of India has made a significant decision regarding the admission of candidates with disabilities to medical courses. On Tuesday, a bench comprising Justice B R Gavai, Aravind Kumar, and KV Viswanathan ruled that the mere presence of a benchmark disability should not be a reason to deny admission to MBBS courses.
The court clarified that the board responsible for assessing a candidate’s disability must clearly state whether the disability will impact the candidate’s ability to pursue the course. This ruling came in response to a petition filed by a candidate with a speech and language disability seeking admission to medical courses.
Previously, the candidate was disqualified based on having a 44% speech and language disability, as regulations stated that those with over 40% disability were ineligible. However, the Supreme Court had earlier directed that a seat be kept vacant for the candidate, pending this decision.
Doubts Revealed
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions on legal matters that affect the whole country.
Benchmark disability -: A benchmark disability is a specific level of disability recognized by the government. It is used to determine eligibility for certain benefits and rights.
Medical courses -: Medical courses are educational programs where students learn to become doctors or other healthcare professionals.
Justices -: Justices are judges who work in the Supreme Court. They make important legal decisions and rulings.
44% speech and language disability -: This means the person has difficulty speaking and understanding language, and it affects them by 44% compared to someone without this disability.
Petition -: A petition is a formal request made to a court or authority, asking for a specific decision or action.
