The Karnataka High Court recently upheld a ruling prioritising candidates with "absolute blindness" over those with "low vision" for specific employment opportunities, provided the disability does not affect their job performance.
The division bench, comprising Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice CM Joshi, delivered this decision while dismissing an appeal by the Department of School Education against an earlier ruling by the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KSAT).
Background of case
The case centres on H N Latha, a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate with complete blindness from Periyapatna taluk, Mysuru district. Latha applied for a Kannada and social studies teaching position at a government primary school in 2022, and her name appeared on the selection list on March 8, 2023. However, her application was later rejected on July 4, prompting her to approach KSAT, which ruled in her favour, granting Rs 10,000 in costs and directing the education department to reconsider her application within three months.
The Department of School Education challenged the KSAT order, arguing that candidates with "absolute blindness" and "low vision" should be treated as distinct reservation categories. However, the High Court bench disagreed, noting that Latha met the educational qualifications required for the teaching role and stressing that employment decisions should focus on candidates’ capabilities rather than arbitrary distinctions in disability categories.
In its judgement, the High Court highlighted the positive attributes often associated with individuals who are blind, such as resilience, adaptability, and strong memory, and referenced several inspirational figures who excelled despite blindness, including Helen Keller and Louis Braille.
The court further noted the importance of inclusive hiring practices, suggesting that the education department should reserve posts for candidates with absolute blindness or enable them to compete for roles with those who have low vision.
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Prevalence of blindness is India
As of November 2024, the most comprehensive study on blindness in India was recorded in the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey (2015–2019). The survey reported a 0.36 per cent prevalence of blindness in India’s population, with a 1.99 per cent prevalence among those aged 50 and above.
Despite an overall decline in blindness rates, India has yet to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) target of reducing blindness prevalence to 0.3 per cent.
Causes of blindness in India include untreated cataracts, corneal opacity, and glaucoma. A significant proportion of blindness (92.9 per cent) and visual impairment (97.4 per cent) is due to avoidable causes.
(With PTI inputs)