New Delhi, May 5 (UNI) In a landmark judgment reinforcing the constitutional rights of persons with disabilities, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that “reasonable accommodation is not a matter of charity but a fundamental right flowing from Articles 14, 16, and 21 of our Constitution.”
The observation came from a Division Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta while directing the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to allot an MBBS UG 2025 seat to a Scheduled Caste candidate with locomotor disability under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) quota.
The Court came down heavily on the arbitrary denial of admission, stating that such exclusionary practices violate fundamental rights and perpetuate historical injustice and systemic discrimination. “When administrative authorities create arbitrary barriers that exclude qualified PwBD candidates, they not only violate statutory provisions but also perpetuate the historical injustice and stigmatisation,” the Bench said.