Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): The Central government on Wednesday removed a 4% quota for the disabled in government jobs. In the first of these notifications issued on Wednesday, the government exempted all categories of posts under the Indian Police Service; all categories of posts under the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Police Service; and all categories of posts under the Indian Railway Protection Force Service.
In the second notification, the exemption from the section has to be given to all sectors and categories of posts of combatant personnel."In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 20 and the second proviso to sub-section (1) of section 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the Central Government, in consultation with the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, having regard to the nature and type of work, hereby exempts all categories of posts of combatant personnel of Central Armed Police Forces, namely, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal and Assam Rifles from the provisions of the said sections," the second notification said.
Meanwhile, activists have opposed the government's decision.
Armaan Ali, executive director of the National Center for Promotion of Employment for Persons with Disabilities (NCPEDP), said the exemption of Section 34 of the Act is a "gross injustice" to persons with disabilities. “Jobs under the police department are not limited to field jobs only, but also include sub-departments like forensics, cyber, IT cells, which can accommodate persons with disabilities in the jobs identified for them. ''
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“The reservation which is provided under Section 34 is only against jobs which are identified under Section 33 and therefore, the issued notification is irrational as persons with disabilities are already deemed fit to be appointed on those identified posts," Ali added.
Ali further added that even persons with disabilities like acid attack victims and leprosy cured are capable of carrying out law and order duties and responsibilities under the police.
“As such, the blanket exemption on all categories of the police force and IPS is unjust and arbitrary in nature,” he rued.
The activist also said exemption from section 20 will have negative implications on persons with disabilities already employed under the said combatant services.
For instance, if personnel employed in either of the said combatant services acquires a disability during their service period, he will not be able to exercise the rights to reasonable accommodation, non-discrimination, promotion if the combatant services are exempted from the provisions under section 20 of the RPwD Act, 2016, he said.
AGENCY INPUTS
