Quota for visually impaired:UPSC seeks time on vacancy details

The UPSC, which has reserved only two seats for visually impaired candidates in civil services examination, today sought more time from the Delhi High Court for furnishing details of vacancies so that the quota for such aspirants can be increased.
"The counsel for the UPSC seeks some more time for filing the details of vacancies as the same are awaited from cadre controlling authorities of various departments," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw said.
The court has now fixed the PIL, filed by NGO 'Sambhavana' which works for the visually impaired persons, for further hearing on October 10.

Earlier, the court had found fault with assessment of UPSC that had led to the reservation of only two seats for visually impaired candidates in the civil services examination.
The court, which had refused to stay the prelims, had said, "Before the schedule for Mains Examination is fixed, the respondents (UPSC and cadre controlling authorities) shall ensure proper assessment of number of vacancies reserved for visually-impaired candidates in conformity with 1 per cent reservation provided under Section 33 of the Disabilities Act, and notify the same."
The court had asked the Centre to file "an additional counter affidavit within two weeks furnishing the details of the vacancy particulars received from the cadre controlling authorities of all the services" and had fixed the PIL for hearing today.

Refusing to stay the the prelims exam, the court had come down heavily on the UPSC and various cadre controlling authorities of the Centre for reserving only two seats for visually impaired candidates.
"Prima facie, we find substance in the contention of the writ petitioner that the reservation for visually impaired candidates is not in conformity with Section 33 of the Disabilities Act. However, we are not inclined to stay the Preliminary Examination on that ground," it had said.
It had allowed the another plea of the NGO that civil services aspirants of the category be given 20 minutes extra time per hour to answer questions in the preliminary and the mains examinations.