Hearing impaired denied IAS posting

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Zee News - Hearing impaired denied IAS posting

He topped the rankings in the hearing impaired category of those selected for Civil Services in 2005, but there was disappointment in store for Mani Ram Sharma.

Sharma qualified in the exams with a rank of 378 and while he was denied a posting in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), a few other hearing impaired candidates who had lower ranks have been absorbed in the IAS and the Indian Foreign Services, claims Disability Rights Group (DRG), an advocacy group working for the rights of the disabled.

"By not giving Mani Ram Sharma his rightful due, for which he has qualified on merit, the department of personnel and training is obviously passing a judgement on the capacity and the capability of a deaf person," said DRG convenor Javed Abidi.

"The saddest part is that he had qualified in 2004 as well but was turned down on the grounds that he is not physically fit for any service. This is the worst case of injustice as candidates with lower ranks have been absorbed for IAS, IFS and Danics but Sharma has been given the worst option," he added.

Vouching for Sharma, DRG and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) have also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar and Minister of Dept of Personnel and Training Suresh Pachauri to look into the matter.

 

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IAS denied to hearing impaired candidate

IAS denied to hearing impaired candidate - NDTV.com - News on IAS denied to hearing impaired candidate

Should perceptions about a candidate's disability prevail over his or her merit in the civil services examination?

That's the question disability rights activists are asking after Mani Ram Sharma, a successful civil service candidate, was denied the Indian Administrative Service for the second time.

The reason being that Mani Ram is completely deaf and only partially deaf candidates can apply for the IAS. Disability rights activists argue that this is unfair.

Mani Ram can function just as well as any other hearing impaired person.

"If you look at the law there is only hearing impairment. No such distinction like deaf and partially deaf exists," said Javed Abidi, Disabled Rights Group.

31-year-old Mani Ram first qualified in the civil services exam in 2004 when his rank was 227.

It qualified him for a place in the Indian Revenue Service when as a disabled candidate, he was eligible for the IAS.

"They sent me back saying there was no suitable post for me," said Mani Ram.

Biased position

The next year, he cleared the civil services examination again. This time, he ranked 378 and under the disabilities quota should still have qualified for the IAS.

But instead, he got the Indian Post and Telegraph Accounts because of his hearing impairment.

Government officials say Mani Ram has been allotted a service as per the existing rules. But activists argue that if this is the case then the rules must change.

"How is this possible? A person who is eight ranks lower than him has been given an IAS," said Abidi.

Disabled rights activists argue the government should been seen as a model employer. But Mani Ram's case points out they still have to cover a lot of ground on this count.