File plan for screen reader use within 2 months: SC to UPSC

THe sublime margaret court on wed underscored the demand for digital accessibility and essential inclusion of persons with disabilities in public examinations, directing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to file within two months a detailed plan of action outlining the timeline, modalities and protocols for deploying screen reader software for visually impaired candidates in competitive examinations.A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said that accessibility in examinations cannot remain a “paper promise” and must translate into lived reality through proper technological infrastructure, standardisation and uniformity across examination centres. “The true measure of inclusivity in governance lies not merely in the formulation of progressive policies but in their faithful and effective implementation,” the court emphasised in its judgment.The bench issued a series of directions to ensure that visually impaired candidates appearing for UPSC and other public recruitment examinations are provided equal opportunity, in line with the constitutional guarantees of equality, dignity and non-discrimination.The judgment came on a petition filed by Mission Accessibility, a non-governmental organisation advocating for disability rights, represented by advocates Rahul Bajaj and Amar Jain, both visually impaired themselves and co-founders of the organisation. The NGO had sought the introduction of screen reader software, accessible digital question papers, and flexibility in scribe registration timelines for visually impaired candidates appearing in the civil services examination and other UPSC tests.The bench directed UPSC to incorporate in every examination notification a clear provision allowing eligible candidates to request a change of scribe up to at least seven days before the exam date, and to dispose of such requests with a reasoned order within three working days.It further ordered the commission to submit a comprehensive compliance affidavit within two months, delineating its road map for introducing the software, including steps for testing, standardisation and validation of the technology across designated or all exam centres.UPSC was additionally directed to frame uniform guidelines and protocols for the use of assistive technologies, in coordination with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) and the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD).The bench stressed that accessibility must be achieved without compromising the sanctity and security of the examination process.The court noted that UPSC, in an affidavit filed in September, had already taken an in-principle decision to introduce screen reader software, but stated that implementation is pending due to lack of necessary examination infrastructure, which is largely dependent on state governments, district authorities and educational institutions that host examination centres.The court emphasised that the petition sought “not privilege, but parity; not indulgence, but rightful fulfilment of the constitutional vision of equal opportunity.”Calling disability rights an enforceable constitutional entitlement rather than an act of benevolence, the bench highlighted that Articles 14, 19 and 21 demand a substantive rather than formal approach to equality. “Equality, in its truest sense, demands not uniformity but the removal of barriers that prevent individuals from standing on equal footing,” it said.The case will be taken up next on February 16, 2026, to review compliance and progress on implementation.