The Punjab and Haryana High Court said that forcing a candidate to pass a typing test despite his fingers being amputated is unfair and illegal. The order was given in the case of Satinderpal Singh, a resident of Patiala, who had applied for the post of Clerk of Punjab Government under Ex-Servicemen Reserved Category.
petitioner’s side
Satinderpal Singh told the court that two fingers each of his hands were cut off while performing duty during the Kargil war. He argued that physically handicapped category candidates are exempted from the typing test, but they were denied this benefit because they were applying under the ex-servicemen category.
court decision
Justice Harismaran Singh Sethi said in his order that the petitioner fulfills the essential conditions of eligibility of ex-serviceman reserved category and 40 percent physical disability. The Court also clarified that as per the advertisement issued by the Punjab Government, candidates with disability certified by the Civil Surgeon should be exempted from the typing test.
equal benefit directive
The court said that if an ex-serviceman is suffering from physical disability of 40 percent or more, he should get the same benefits as candidates belonging to the physically handicapped category.
conclusion
With this decision of the High Court, an important step has been taken towards ensuring equal rights on the basis of disability and providing justice to the ex-servicemen for their contribution.