SC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Letter Petition Regarding Exclusion of Visually Challenged Candidates from MP Judicial Service

On Thursday (March 7), the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of a regulation in the State of Madhya Pradesh that bars visually impaired and no-vision candidates from pursuing appointments to judicial services.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud disclosed that he had received a letter expressing objection to the exclusion of visually impaired candidates from the Madhya Pradesh judiciary. The Court, converting the letter into a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, issued notices to the Secretary General of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the State of Madhya Pradesh, and the Union of India.

“The MP Judicial Services Examination (Recruitment and Conditions of Services) Rule 1994 has been amended, resulting in Rule 6A, which entirely excludes visually impaired and no-vision candidates from seeking appointments to judicial service,” the bench noted in its order.

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The suo motu case has been titled “In Re: Recruitment of Visually Impaired in Judicial Services.”

The bench appointed Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal as an amicus curiae to assist the Court in the matter.

In its 2021 judgment in the case Vikash Kumar vs. Union Public Service Commission (authored by Justice Chandrachud, at that time), the Supreme Court overturned an earlier precedent that barred candidates with more than 50% visual or hearing disabilities from judicial service.