With the Himachal Pradesh government excluding persons who had more than 60 percent disability in PGT teachers’ recruitment, the disabled are up in arms against the Education department for going against the rulings of the Apex Court.

Umang Foundation, a charitable trust working for the disabled, has lodged a complaint with the State Disability Commissioner against the Director of Higher Education on the ban imposed on recruitment of persons with visual and hearing impairment having disability more than 60 percent for the post of school lecturer (PGT).

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Prof Ajai Srivastava, expert member of, State Advisory Board on Disability and chairman of Umang Foundation said if remedial measures are not taken immediately, he will approach the High Court to seek relief for the disabled persons as the order is blatantly defying the ruling of the Supreme Court.

“The Director of Higher Education issued an advertisement, especially for the disabled, last week to recruit school lecturers in various subjects.

It was clearly mentioned in the advertisement that the persons having visual and hearing disabilities more than 60 percent were not eligible to apply.

The decision of the Director of Higher Education is against the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, and blatantly violates a judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in February this year.

In this judgment, the Apex Court has ruled that irrespective of the degree of disability, visually and hearing impaired persons can even become judges in the courts.

The court had also said such disabled people should be provided with technical assistance so that they could work efficiently,” he added.

Srivastava stated that the Central government has identified the posts of IAS, IFS, IRS, professor, bank officers, and all categories of school teachers, including lecturers for the purpose of recruitment of the disabled.

But the mental bankruptcy of the Education department is playing with the future of disabled persons.

He questioned when the persons with blindness or deafness can occupy the highest government posts in the country, why they are being debarred to become school lecturers?

He has urged the State Disability Commissioner to take cognizance of his complaint against the Director of Education and order an inquiry, failing which he will knock the doors of the High Court.