The Orissa High Court has issued notices to the State government for not providing reservation to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) for the posts of Physical Education Teacher (PET).
One Bismay Panda and others, who have completed the Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd) from a government college, moved the court challenging the Directorate of Secondary Education which had come up with the instruction that the posts of PET had been exempted from reservation for the PwDs in secondary schools.
The Directorate of Secondary Education said the PwDs would not be considered for reservation as per a resolution approved by the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons With Disabilities (SSEPD) Department.
The petitioners submitted that since the prospectus for the BPEd provides 4% reservation for the PwDs in sports, the decision to exempt them from physical fitness test was wholly erroneous.
Justice S. K. Panigrahi issued notice to both School and Mass Education and SSEPD Departments. He directed them to allow the PwD candidates to participate in the recruitment process but their result would be subject to the outcome of the writ petition.
Niranjan Behera, president of the Odisha Bikalang Manch (OBM), an association of physically challenged persons, said: “When the State government paid ₹6 crore to shuttler Pramod Bhagat, who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, the same government is backtracking when it comes to providing reservation to the PwDs for the posts of PET.”
“As per a Supreme Court order, 4% reservation should be earmarked for PwDs category candidates including locomotor and visual and hearing impaired disabilities. The same is not implemented in letter and spirit in the State. There should be a thorough review of the implementation of reservation for PwDs,” demanded Mr. Behera.
