New Delhi, Nov 25: 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.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, November 25, 2006, 00:00