Supreme Court Advocates Inclusive Admissions for Disabled Students

The Supreme Court ruled that a 40% benchmark disability does not disqualify candidates from educational institution admission. The disability's impact on course pursuit must be assessed by a medical board. The case centered on Omkar Ramchandra Gond, whose admission was initially denied due to disability but later granted following judicial review.

In a pivotal ruling, the Supreme Court asserted that a benchmark disability of 40% should not automatically bar candidates from gaining admission to educational institutions unless a medical assessment board specifically determines that the disability hinders academic pursuit.

The case was spotlighted by Omkar Ramchandra Gond, an aspiring medical student from Maharashtra, who was deemed ineligible for an MBBS course due to a 45% speech and language disability. The bench of Justices overturned earlier rulings, emphasizing the importance of a detailed medical evaluation over rigid numeric criteria.

The ruling advocates for more inclusive admission processes, urging regulatory bodies to accommodate rather than disqualify candidates with disabilities. The court also directed the National Medical Commission to update its regulations before the 2025-26 academic year, ensuring adherence to the RPwD Act's inclusive principles.

(With inputs from agencies.)