NEET 2023: Delhi Court commands NMC, DGHS to include doctors with disabilities in framing PwD guidelines

New Delhi:  A Delhi court has commanded both the National Medical Commission (NMC) and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to include doctors with disabilities in the committee that lays the framework of the guidelines for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) and Postgraduate (PG) applicants with disabilities.

The Court of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities has suggested that NMC and DGHS expand the facilitation centres to avoid any difficulties faced by physically challenged candidates during the evaluation process for MBBS and BDS admissions. This was encouraged while addressing a complaint about the double examination of candidates who had successfully qualified the NEET exam.

The plea further argued that government medical colleges and hospitals in all states and Union Territories (UTs) of India are providing UDIDs. As per the requests made by the complainants, "Each state and Union Territory should designate one such assessment board where there are doctors with disabilities which should be notified as disability screening centre.”

The court has recommended that the apex medical education regulator must authorize the government medical colleges to conduct medical evaluations of candidates with disabilities until more test centres for the medical evaluation of PwD candidates are not facilitated. 

The complaints were filed by Satendra Singh, a professor of physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) New Delhi and a disability rights activist. As per his statement, “Erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) had created 16 'disability assessment centres across to conduct medical evaluations of candidates with disabilities. Despite having a permanent Unique Disability Identity Card (UDID) issued under the patronage of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, disabled candidates after clearing NEET UG and NEET PG are forced to go to these centres for multiple assessments.".”

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 rules clearly state that involvement of persons with disabilities in general and doctors with disabilities, in particular, is needed in panels while framing the guidelines for disabled persons.

Mr Singh further added, "We apprised the same to court and now the court has issued the order to NMC and DGHS to include doctors with disability in committee framing guidelines for PwD candidates." 

Singh added that among the NMC committees formed until now or the Wadhwa committee of AIIMS Delhi or the AIIMS Raipur, none of them has any health professional with a disability in the committee for examination of the candidates with disabilities who have successfully qualified NEET exam and hence violating RPwD Act, 2016.

The order issued by the court was commanded by Upma Srivastava, Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities on April 5, 2023 states, “This Court also recommends that as far as issues relating to problems faced by candidates during second evaluation, is the one raised by the complainant during the online hearing, the respondent shall form an expert committee which shall comprise of medical practitioners, such committee shall also include doctor(s) who is a Person with Disability, to examine the various problems which arise and which are faced by the candidates during second-time evaluation. The recommendations of this committee shall be shared with this Court.”

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