On the fourth day of the parliament's monsoon session, before the budget discussion began, the issue of the disability quota was raised during zero hour in the Rajya Sabha. Dr. Fauzia Khan, a Member of Parliament from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, expressed concern over the disability quota in government jobs and demanded the implementation of uniform guidelines for various job criteria. She also mentioned the prominent IAS officer from Maharashtra, Pooja Khedkar.
NCP MP Fauzia Khan highlighted that on one side, there is Pooja Khedkar, who secured her position using forged documents after passing the UPSC exam. On the other side, we see Karthik Kansal, who cleared the UPSC exam four times but was denied service. She explained the reason, stating that Karthik Kansal suffers from muscular dystrophy, a condition related to muscle development.
Fauzia Khan expressed sadness, noting that in 2021, despite clearing the UPSC exam and qualifying for IAS, muscular dystrophy was not recognized as an eligible condition. She pointed out the different standards for the disability quota in various recruitments. The NCP MP emphasized that the solution lies in issuing uniform guidelines for medical boards across different jobs to ensure fair evaluation.
She also stated that with these changes in the disability quota, the system should support candidates and promote fairness in the process. She added that uniform disability assessment should be part of this. She concluded her address with the lines, 'We are not helpless, our courage is our companion.'
