SC directs NMC to set up panel to examine plea on disability assessment for quota in MBBS admissions

The Supreme Court has intervened in a significant case concerning the assessment of disabilities and the granting of quotas in MBBS admissions.

The court has directed the National Medical Council (NMC) to establish a panel of domain experts to thoroughly examine a plea seeking the development of appropriate modes of disability assessment for students with mental illnesses, special learning disorders (SLD), and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

The aim is to determine their eligibility for the quota in MBBS admissions.

The direction from the top court



came in response to a petition filed by Vishal Gupta, who was denied reservation in MBBS admission under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.

Gupta's mental disability was assessed at 55 percent, rendering him ineligible for admission to a medical college as per the grounds mentioned in the Act.

According to the mentioned Act, individuals are considered to have a "benchmark disability" if the certifying authority determines their disability to be equal to or greater than 40 percent. In such cases, these candidates are not eligible for reservation benefits in admissions.