NGO demands action against bureaucrat for alleged 'ableist' comments in Puja Khedkar case

New Delhi: Advocacy group 'Doctors with Disabilities' has demanded disciplinary action against Telangana cadre bureaucrat Smita Sabharwal for allegedly making "ableist" comments on social media that undermine the principles of social justice and disability rights.

The controversy stems from a series of posts by Sabharwal, in which she questioned the necessity of disability quotas in allied services and asked why such quotas have not been implemented in certain sectors like the Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Service (IFoS) and the defence forces.

She further compared the government officials with pilots and surgeons, questioning whether airlines would hire a person with a disability or whether someone would trust a surgeon with a disability.

"As this debate is blowing up -- With all due respect to the differently-abled, does an airline hire a pilot with disability? Or would you trust a surgeon with a disability? The nature of the #AIS (IAS/IPS/IFoS) is field-work, long taxing hours, listening first hand to people's grievances, which requires physical fitness."

"Why does this premier service need this quota in the first place! #justasking," she said in a post.

Dr Satendra Singh, a member of the Doctors with Disabilities group, in a letter to the Telangana chief minister, said Sabharwal's remarks reflect an "ableist mindset" that contradicts the inclusive ethos promoted by the government.

The letter further emphasised that the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, explicitly prohibit members of the service from making statements that adversely criticise any government policy.

The amended rules of 2014 mandate high ethical standards, integrity, honesty and fairness among civil servants, particularly in their responsiveness to the weaker sections of society.

"Ms. Sabharwal's comments violate these conduct rules by publicly criticising government policies on disability quotas," Dr Singh noted, urging the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) to take immediate and appropriate disciplinary action against Sabharwal.

The debate erupted in the wake of allegations of misconduct against IAS probationer Puja Khedkar who is accused of misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (non-creamy layer) quotas to secure her candidature in the civic services exam.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has registered a police case against Khedkar for allegedly fraudulently availing attempts in the civil services examination by faking her identity to take the exam beyond the permissible attempts.