The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Principal Bench, New Delhi, directed the Union Government to overhaul its policies regarding reservation for persons with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs), such as dyslexia, in the Civil Services Examination (CSE). The case arose from petitions filed by petitioners, both certified with benchmark learning disabilities, who challenged the exclusion of SLDs from the statutory 0.5% reservation mandated under Section 34(1)(d) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The Tribunal criticized the Government’s continued practice of granting blanket exemptions to SLD candidates from CSE vacancies, based on Expert Committee recommendations that lacked subject-matter expertise and empirical justification. It held that the process was arbitrary, discriminatory, and inconsistent with statutory mandates, noting in particular the failure to consult specialists in learning disabilities and the absence of transparent reasoning for such exclusions.
The Tribunal directed the Government to re-examine the Office Memorandum dated December 20, 2024, in consultation with medical and educational experts, and to identify suitable posts for candidates with SLDs across the 19 civil services. It further mandated the constitution of a high-powered committee to review the necessity of exemptions, ensure compliance with reservation provisions, and publicly disclose reasons for any exclusions in future CSE notifications.
The exercise is required to be completed before the next Civil Services Examination notification in 2026.
Appearances:
Applicants: Mr. Rahul Sunil Bajaj with Mr. Amritesh Mishra, Ms. Sarah and Mr. Amar Jain
Respondents: Mr. R V Sinha, Mr. Naresh Kaushik, Sr. Advocate assisted by Mr. S M Zulfiqar, Mr. Vardhman Kaushik, Mr. Anand Singh, Mr. Shantanu Shukla, Mr. Archit Gautam