Debate Erupts Over Disability Quotas in Civil Services Following Controversial IAS Selection
A fierce debate has erupted following senior bureaucrat Smita Sabharwal’s comments questioning the necessity of disability quotas in the civil services. Sabharwal, a member-secretary of the Telangana Finance Commission, suggested that the demanding nature of jobs like IAS, IPS, and IFoS, which require physical fitness for fieldwork, might not be suitable for individuals with disabilities. She likened the situation to airlines not hiring pilots with disabilities or mistrusting surgeons with disabilities, sparking widespread backlash on social media.
Critics, including Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi and Supreme Court Advocate Karuna Nandy, condemned Sabharwal’s remarks as exclusionary and ignorant. Chaturvedi highlighted the need to promote diversity and inclusion through reservations. At the same time, Nandy pointed out that many disabilities do not affect stamina or intelligence, underscoring the necessity for enlightenment and diversity in public services. Arvind Gupta, trustee of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), emphasized the potential contributions of people with disabilities if provided with an inclusive ecosystem.
The controversy intensified after probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who had utilized disability and OBC quotas, was found ineligible for these concessions. Her training has been put on hold, and a panel has been formed to probe her selection into the IAS, further fueling the debate over disability quotas in civil services.
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