Introduction: When Disability Becomes an Administrative
Hurdle
The rights of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in public
employment are protected not merely as a matter of welfare, but as
a constitutional and statutory mandate under the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities Act, 2016 (“RPwD Act”). Yet, in
practice, candidates with disabilities often find themselves
trapped in bureaucratic loops especially during verification of
disability certificates resulting in lost opportunities.
The recent judgment of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
in Sonu Singh Narwariya v. State of
MP1 (2025) squarely addresses this
issue, holding that disability verification procedures
cannot be used to deny appointment, especially when the
candidate is faultless. The Court's intervention reaffirms a
simple but powerful truth: administrative procedures cannot be
weaponized to defeat the rights of disabled candidates who are
otherwise fully qualified. The ruling marks
a significant step in
