Karnataka HC Orders Appointment of Disabled Candidate as Accounts Officer in 8 Weeks

Rapid Summary

• A 38-year-old state government employee, SB Anil Kumar, was denied promotion too Assistant Accounts officer (AAO) on medical grounds due to his locomotor disability exceeding 75%.
• The Karnataka high Court directed KPTCL/Bescom to appoint him as AAO within eight weeks under disability reservation.
• A division bench of chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind emphasized the need for both functional assessment and medical assessment when evaluating candidates.
• Despite qualifying for the examination, Kumar was excluded from the provisional selection list in 2016, with authorities claiming no eligible PwD candidates were available.
• Bescom cited specific disability requirements outlined in thier recruitment guidelines. This argument was overruled by the court, which held that Kumar’s capacity for light duties made him eligible for AAO roles given similar job scopes.
• The court ordered notional seniority to apply retroactively from September 8, 2016 and referenced Supreme Court guidelines advocating functional assessments alongside medical certificates.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The Karnataka High Court ruling reinforces the significance of inclusivity and fairness in employment processes under India’s disability quota laws.By prioritizing functional assessment over rigid adherence to medical certification alone, this judgment sets a precedent for accommodating deserving candidates based on their actual performance capability rather than narrowly defined criteria set by outdated guidelines.

This decision underlines broader implications: organizations must adapt recruitment policies to align with evolving interpretations of workers’ potential contributions despite disabilities.Such legal interventions are pivotal in combating structural biases faced by persons with disabilities within Indian workplaces-in this case ensuring equitable access not just at junior-level posts but also higher designations like AAO roles.

This judgment could serve as a template encouraging deeper integration of disabled individuals into various professional levels nationwide while fostering compliance with anti-discrimination laws beyond mere lip service.

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