SC notice to govt on disabled doc’s plea seeking admission in PG

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has sought the response of the Centre and others on a plea filed by a doctor with locomotor disability seeking admission in a postgraduate medical course under Persons with Disabilities (PWD) category.

Locomotor disability is the term used for multiple forms of cerebral palsy or a condition of the bones, joints, or muscles that restricts limb movement substantially.

A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Prashant Kumar Mishra issued notices to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Union Health Ministry, National Medical Commission (NMC) and others while seeking their replies by September 11.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by Dr Dharmendra Kumar seeking admission to a postgraduate medical course under the PWD category. According to the regulations, candidates with 40 to 80 per cent disability are permitted for medical courses under the quota meant for persons with disabilities while those above 80 per cent may also be allowed on case to case basis, and their functional competency will be determined with the aid of assistive devices.