Question 1

Visually impaired individuals cannot serve as judges because they cannot observe a witness's physical demeanor to tell if they are lying.

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court clarified that judicial assessment relies on the consistency, logic, and corroboration of evidence rather than visual cues of demeanor. Visually impaired judges worldwide rely on audio cues, transcripts, and legal reasoning.

Question 2

The RPwD Act, 2016 only mandates a 4% reservation for lower-tier administrative jobs, not high-level constitutional or judicial posts.

Accepted Answer

Section 34 of the RPwD Act applies to all 'government establishments'. The Supreme Court reaffirmed that judicial services fall under this mandate, requiring inclusive recruitment at the highest levels of the state apparatus.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Supreme Court's 2025 judgment on the recruitment of visually impaired candidates in judicial services:
1. The Supreme Court declared that the right against disability-based discrimination under the RPwD Act, 2016 holds the same stature as a Fundamental Right.
2. The Court upheld Rule 7 of the Madhya Pradesh Judicial Service Rules which required differently-abled candidates to possess 3 years of legal practice to prove their competence.
3. The judgment mandates that the High Courts must maintain separate cut-off marks for PwD candidates at every stage of the judicial selection process.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statements 1 and 3 are correct. The Supreme Court explicitly stated the RPwD Act has quasi-constitutional significance (Statement 1) and mandated separate cut-offs to avoid indirect discrimination (Statement 3). Statement 2 is incorrect because the Court strictly QUASHED (struck down) the discriminatory proviso to Rule 7 that required differently-abled candidates to have 3 years of practice or 70% LLB marks.

Question 4

Match List I (Legal Concept/Provision) with List II (Application in the 2025 SC Judgment on Visually Impaired Candidates):

List I:
A. Direct Discrimination
B. Indirect Discrimination
C. Reasonable Accommodation
D. Substantive Equality

List II:
1. Providing affirmative conditions like scribes and assistive technology to overcome disability barriers.
2. Applying identical cut-off marks to all candidates, which disproportionately disadvantages PwD candidates.
3. Acknowledging that the Constitution requires treating unequal situations differently to ensure a level playing field.
4. Explicitly barring visually impaired candidates from applying to the judiciary via Rule 6A.

Select the correct code:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 — Direct Discrimination (A) occurs through explicit exclusion, as seen in Rule 6A barring blind candidates (4). Indirect Discrimination (B) happens when neutral rules, like identical cut-offs, disproportionately harm marginalized groups (2). Reasonable Accommodation (C) involves making affirmative adjustments, like providing scribes (1). Substantive Equality (D) is the overarching constitutional principle that unequals must be treated differently to achieve fairness (3).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The Supreme Court struck down the rule that required differently-abled candidates to secure at least 70% aggregate marks in their law degree to be eligible for the Madhya Pradesh Judicial Services.
Reason (R): The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 explicitly prescribes a uniform 50% qualifying mark for all disabled candidates across all competitive examinations in India.
Select the correct answer:

Accepted Answer

(c) A is correct but R is incorrect. — Assertion (A) is correct; the SC struck down the proviso to Rule 7 which imposed arbitrary hurdles like a 70% aggregate mark or 3 years of practice specifically on differently-abled candidates, deeming it a violation of the equality doctrine. Reason (R) is incorrect because the RPwD Act, 2016 does not prescribe a hardcoded uniform '50% qualifying mark' for all exams; rather, it broadly mandates reasonable accommodation, non-discrimination, and a minimum of 4% reservation in government jobs.

SC Allows Visually Impaired Candidates in Judiciary

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