“Undertake special recruitment drive for filling up back-log of vacancies for persons with disabilities in time bound manner”: High Court directs Delhi Govt

While stressing the need of filling up the vacancies, the Delhi High Court recently directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to undertake a special recruitment drive for filling up of the backlog vacancies for persons with disabilities in a time-bound manner.

The division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad set out a time schedule to be followed by the Delhi Government to carry out the special recruitment for filling up the vacancies.

The court directed the concerned departments or establishments to send a requisition to the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) or Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), as the case may be, within 30 days for recruitment of PwDs.

“The DSSSB/ UPSC, as the case may, shall conduct written test/ interview/ process of selection within 30 days from the last date of receipt of applications by the DSSSB/ UPSC,” court further directed.

The Standing Counsel for GNCTD stated that she will prepare a department-wise, disability-wise, and post-wise detailed chart and shall furnish all minute details of the posts reserved for the disabled category/ posts vacant under the category and the information shall be shared with Mr. S.K. Rungta, learned Senior Advocate.

Court was dealing with a Public Interest Litigation filed by the NGO National Federation of the Blind alleging inaction on the part of the Delhi government in filling up the vacancies reserved for blind and low-vision candidates. Pursuant to the court’s order, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) took up the matter on February 20 and passed a detailed order furnishing details of the vacancies available to be filled up by PwDs in various departments.

“The Order passed by the SCPD makes it very clear that 1351 vacancies are available under Direct Recruitment quota for Persons with Disabilities, including 356 vacancies for Visually Impaired persons; and in the matter of Promotion quota, the vacancies available are 852, including 149 vacancies for Visually Impaired persons. The Order further reveals that the GNCTD has been directed to fill up the vacancies by conducting a special drive,” the court observed.

The court stated that the existing vacancies were required to be filled up as soon as possible and accordingly directed the Chief Secretary, GNCTD to undertake a special recruitment drive for filling up the backlog vacancies for persons with disabilities in a time-bound manner.

Case Title: National Federation of the Blind vs. Govt. NCT of Delhi & Anr.