NHRC Chairperson Proposes Targeted Approach to Disability Verification
In a significant development concerning the rights of persons with disabilities in government employment, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian has recommended a fundamental shift in how disability certificates are verified. Following detailed deliberations on human rights violations stemming from re-verification and re-assessment processes, the chairperson has suggested that such scrutiny should be conducted only where specific suspicion exists, rather than through mass re-verification of all employees with disabilities.
Core Group Meeting Addresses Verification Concerns
The concern emerged prominently during a meeting of NHRC's core group on disabilities, which was chaired by Justice Ramasubramanian. The chairperson carefully noted that the Centre's revised advisory and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) dated October 15, 2025, for handling disability verification in government jobs and education is understandably meant to be applied prospectively. This means it should only affect new applicants rather than being implemented retrospectively to reassess all existing beneficiaries who have already been granted disability certificates.
Justice Ramasubramanian observed that applying the SOP retrospectively for all existing employees with disabilities could have significant legal implications and potentially violate established rights. Therefore, instead of implementing blanket verification measures, the scrutiny should be precisely limited to cases where there is specific, evidence-based suspicion regarding the authenticity of disability claims.
Commission to Finalize Recommendations for Government
The NHRC has announced that it will further deliberate upon suggestions and inputs from various stakeholders before finalizing its recommendations to the government. These recommendations aim to ensure robust protection of the rights of persons with disabilities while maintaining necessary verification mechanisms. An official NHRC statement emphasized this ongoing process, highlighting the commission's commitment to balanced policy formulation.
During the meeting, several concrete suggestions emerged from participants. These included prohibiting blanket or mass medical reassessment of all government employees with disabilities. Other proposals focused on adopting UDID-based digital verification as the default mechanism, with medical reassessment serving only as an exception based on clearly defined and evidence-based suspicion. Additionally, there was discussion about eliminating the need to re-issue certificates to employees living with irreversible, permanent disabilities.
Government Officials Clarify Intent and Implementation
On the critical issue of reassessment, Rajeev Sharma, joint secretary of the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities within the ministry of social justice and empowerment, provided important clarification. He explained that the primary intent of the department has always been to ensure due diligence at the initial stages of admission to higher educational institutions and recruitment for government jobs, rather than conducting widespread retrospective verification of existing employees.
Dr S Govindaraj, commissioner of persons with disabilities, reinforced this perspective by stating that verification mechanisms must remain targeted and proportional. He emphasized that these processes should ensure that persons with genuine disabilities are not unnecessarily inconvenienced or subjected to repeated assessments. Dr Govindaraj pointed out that existing guidelines already emphasize validation rather than mass reassessment, suggesting that proper implementation of current protocols could address concerns without requiring extensive new verification procedures.
Emphasis on Dignity and Protection Against Misuse
Meanwhile, Bharat Lal, secretary general of NHRC, highlighted the fundamental importance of treating persons with disabilities (PwD) with respect and dignity while ensuring appropriate safeguards against potential misuse of legal provisions. He noted that re-assessment of disability can be intrusive and may make individuals feel a loss of dignity, particularly when conducted without specific cause.
Lal also addressed the broader context, mentioning that although the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 increased reservation for PwD from 3% to 4% in government jobs and educational institutions, misuse of provisions and weak social values sometimes result in persons with genuine disabilities facing unnecessary hardships. This underscores the need for balanced approaches that protect both the integrity of disability benefits and the dignity of legitimate beneficiaries.
The NHRC's deliberations represent a crucial step toward refining disability verification processes in India's public sector, potentially influencing policies that affect thousands of government employees with disabilities across the country.
