संघ लोक सेवा आयोग (UPSC) द्वारा विकलांग डॉक्टरो के अधिकारो का हनन

संघ लोक सेवा आयोग (UPSC) ने  विज्ञापन संख्या १६, १७, एवं १८/२०१३ के द्वारा सहायक प्रोफेसर के मेडिकल पदो के चयन के लिए ऑनलाइन भर्ती आवेदन पत्र निकाले हैं. यह पद शारीरिक विकलांग डॉक्टरो के लिए भी हैं लेकिन जैसे ही वह ऑनलाइन भर्ती आवेदन पत्र में अपनी विकलांगता दर्शाते हैं उनका आवेदन पत्र अस्वीकार कर लिया जाता है. यह कोई टेक्निकल त्रुटि नहीं है अपितु UPSC विकलांग डॉक्टरो को इन पदो पर सक्षम नहीं समझता है. २०११ में  डॉ  सतेन्द्र सिंह जो कि यूनिवर्सिटी कॉलेज ऑफ़ मेडिकल साइंसेज में  फिजियोलॉजी में सहायक प्रोफेसर हैं को UPSC ने इसी पद के लिए अस्वीकार कर दिया.डॉ सिंह CAT गए और कोर्ट के आर्डर पर उन्हें और बाकि विकलांग लोगो को साक्षात्कार के लिए बुलाया गया. 

इसी इतिहास कि पुनरावृति दुबारा हुई जब इस महीने विज्ञापन संख्या १६/२०१३ में upsc दुबारा फिजियोलॉजी में सहायक प्रोफेसर के पदो  पर आवेदन मांगे. इस बार फॉर्म ऑनलाइन था और फॉर्म भरने पर वेबसाइट ने दर्शाया कि आप विकलांग हैं और इस पद के लिए उपुक्त नहीं हैं. डॉ सिंह इसी पद पर यूनिवर्सिटी कॉलेज ऑफ़ मेडिकल साइंसेज में २००८ से पढ़ा रहे हैं. upsc का यह भेदभाव सिर्फ फिजियोलॉजी तक सिमित नहीं है. अगर विकलांग डॉक्टर साइकाइट्री, यूरोलॉजी में भी आवेदन करते हैं तो उनका आवेदन अस्वीकार कर दिया जाता है. विज्ञापन संख्या १७/२०१३ में भी अगर आप अपनी विकलांगता बताते हैं तो आप पैथोलॉजी, रेडिओडोअग्नोसिस  एवं अनेस्थेसिओलॉजी में चंडीगढ़ में आवेदन नहीं भर सकते. डॉ सिंह ने तुरंत मुख्य आयुक्त निशक्तजन एवं सेक्रेटरी, स्वास्थ्य एवं कल्याण मंत्रालय को पत्र भेजा और उन्होंने तुरंत संज्ञान लिया. परन्तु मंत्रालय ने upsc ko सिर्फ डॉ सिंह का आवेदन स्वीकार करने को कहा. इस बात से व्यथित डॉ सिंह ने दुबारा पत्र लिखा और कहा के सभी विकलांग डॉक्टरो को आवेदन का नैतिक अधिकार दिलाया जाये. 

अभी यह मामला सुलझा भी नहीं था कि upsc ने अपने नया विज्ञापन संख्या १८/२०१३ में आवेदन मांगे हैं पर यहाँ भी विकलांग डॉक्टर बायोकेमिस्ट्री, माइक्रोबायोलॉजी, न्यूरोलॉजी में आवेदन नहीं कर सकते हैं. 

इसके अलावा upsc आवेदको से निर्धारित प्रपत्र में ही शारीरिक विकलांगता  प्रमाण पत्र मांगते है और उसमे में भी उन्हें अपनी विकलांगता दर्शित करनी है. एक विकलांग जनो के नैतिक अधिकारो का हनन है. मुख्य आयुक्त निशक्तजन ने कई बार आदेश पारित किये हैं कि एक विकलांगता  प्रमाण पत्र होने के बावजूद बार बार प्रमाण पत्र बनाने कि जरूरत नहीं. डॉ सिंह ने इन दोनों बातो को फिर से मुख्य आयुक्त निशक्तजन के कोर्ट में उठाया है ताकि बाकी विकलांग डॉक्टर अपने अधिकारो का लाभ ले सकें. 

 हिंदी दैनिक राष्ट्रीय उजाला ने यह खबर २८ नवंबर २०१३ के अंक में छापी है (चित्र नीच देखें)

UPSC discrimination: Relief for one disabled doctor but what about others

The Hindu and India Medical Times covered how I was rejected by UPSC to apply for the post of Assistant Professor of Physiology not once but twice. It also mentioned the discriminatory proforma available at the UPSC website which all disabled candidates have to used.

This proforma for medical certificate for disabled candidates applying to the various UPSC posts is not only discriminatory but also violating human rights of respect, equality and dignity. It asks candidates (despite having a permanent disability certificate to attach recent photo SHOWING disability). It’s a form of harassment, discrimination and infringement of the privacy, dignity, respect and human rights of the physically disabled applicants and should be STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. What is the need to strip when a qualified medical board has already examined the candidate?

The proforma is available on the website and mandatory for all disabled candidates.
upsc.gov.in> Recruitment> Proforma> Proforma for medical certificate for PH candidate

Here is the screen shot:

The Times of India and The Hindu, the leading newspapers in India have covered both of the issues in their 16th November 2013 paper. India Medical Times also covered the story. Lets hope, the UPSC officials respond in time to allow all disabled doctors to apply as well as remove the discriminatory proforma at the earliest.

The Times of India. 16 Nov 2013. Page 8. UPSC flouts govt's job criteria for disabled.

The Hindu. 16 Nov 2013. Doctor with disability alleges discrimination by UPSC.

India Medical Times. 14 Nov 2013. Success for Dr Singh, but other physically challenged doctors still in lurch.

Clarifications
I take this opportunity to clarify few unintentional mistakes in print reports.

TOI, 16 Nov mentioned, "After I came to know that my candidature was rejected on ground of disability, I approached CAT. It said I could appear for interview. But I didn't get a call."

Clarification-The CAT order allowed me to appear for the interview and I did appeared for the interview but I wasn't selected. "I didn't get a call" is mistakenly written in the report.

The Hindu, 16 Nov states,"Dr. Singh has now approached a court seeking assistance to direct the UPSC to allow all the eligible disabled doctors to participate in the interview and remove the ‘discriminatory requirement’.

Clarification- The matter was already in the Court of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. It was because of the speedier intervention of CCPD and Secretary, Health &  Family Affair that I was allowed. My dissatisfaction is with the order allowing only me. The 2011 letter from MoHFW allowed myself and other similarly placed candidates to appear for the interview. Current letter does not allow other candidates.

Also read:

Rejected by UPSC twice, physically challenged doctor battles for justice. India Medical Times. 8 Nov 2013

UPSC discriminating against me, alleges differently-abled doctor. The Hindu. 11 Nov 2013

M.S.J.E doesn't consider disabled doctors fit for teaching jobs. DNIS. 1 March 2011

UPSC discriminating against me, alleges differently-abled doctor

Today's The Hindu also picks up the story. Read the full report at the below link:

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/upsc-discriminating-against-me-alleges-differentlyabled-doctor/article5334572.ece

It’s not about the Assistant Professor post of Physiology alone in Advt 16/2013. You cannot even apply for Psychiatry, Urology also. As it was not enough, I saw the new advt 17/2013 yesterday on UPSC site and and tried creating registration for the posts of Senior lecturer in Pathology, Radiodiagnosis, Anaesthesiology and Professor in Physiology at GMC Chandigarh through UPSC but the moment you enter disability details they reject your application. The problem is more for general candidate applicants (like me) since it’s mandatory to answer whether you are disabled or not and the moment you mention the truth, they kick you out. Perhaps our policy makers should learn about Dr Advani and Dr Verghese (wheelchair doctors from India)

Rejected by UPSC twice, physically challenged doctor battles for justice

Friday, November 8, 2013

by Vidhi Rathee
India Medical Times

New Delhi: “Lightning does strike twice and at the same place when it comes to the plight of persons with disabilities,” said Dr Satendra Singh, a polio survivor and assistant professor of physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) and Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, New Delhi.

Read the full story here:
http://www.indiamedicaltimes.com/2013/11/08/rejected-by-upsc-twice-physically-challenged-doctor-battles-for-justice/

Polio survivor's fight to correct date of Salk's b'day

The WHO site this year still states 24th Oct as World Polio Day.  'Vaccine,' the official journal of the Edward Jenner Society, The International Society for Vaccines & the Japanese Society for Vaccinology, published my letter to the editor [Singh S. It's time to correct the literature. Vaccine. 2013 Jan 11;31(4):591.  doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.11.059. Epub 2012 Dec 4. PubMed PMID: 23219693.] contradicting the same. Still, we are continuing with a wrong trend and not giving right credit to the right man. Please find above, my story in today's Statesman (Delhi Edition).


Also read:

Enablist Impact: From blog to a prestigious journal

World Polio Day - 24th or 28th October?

Delhi Metro: Not so friendly for the disabled

Isha Arora, Oct 9, 2013, Deccan Herald, MetroLife

Travelling aboard his self-crafted skating board, Sushil Soni scrambled for getting aboard the Metro, not once but twice at Rajiv Chowk Metro Station and Central Secretariat. He had to switch lines to reach Lajpat Nagar at 10:30 pm. When Metrolife encountered this incident, it spoke to Soni to enquire if it happened to him regularly. 

To this he humbly answered, “It’s almost the last train towards home. You cannot expect helpers and guards to assist you this late in the night. They are very helpful otherwise.”  There is no denying the fact that Delhi Metro is the most disabled-friendly transport in the country owing to tactile-plates, wheelchairs, lifts, washrooms and assistance offered to physically challenged commuters. But does the system get paralysed at night?

Speaking to Anjlee Agarwal , accessibility consultant for Samarthyam, an outfit that conducts accessibility audits for DMRC, poses a different reality, as she says, “ You should always ask for assistance from the ‘sahayaks’ at the Metro line. We organise regular audits at stations. Minor problems do crop up, which we have listed in our report to DMRC so that these get addressed before the new lines are introduced.”

But talking to physically challenged people in the Capital throws open a Pandora’s box. Ummul Kher, an M Phil student in Jawahar Lal Nehru University walks with crutches. “It’s just not night hours. A week back I ventured out to Karkardooma from Hauz Khas at 11 am. It is very expensive to use an auto for long distances but it’s a torture to use Metro. It took me two days to recover and move out of bed as I was almost crushed by the sea of people at Rajiv Chowk. Though Metro stations could also be improved, it actually boils down to insensitivity of people - from both Metro staff and citizens.”

Ummul vehemently adds, “If there are Metro sahayaks at stations, they better make themselves visible because we cannot always drag ourselves up from lifts to ask for their assistance at AFC (Automatic Fare Collecting) gates. The accessibility feature of DMRC is something that it should flaunt and improve for setting up an example.” 

Raman Singh, a visually impaired Metro-user says, “They have very strategically built the tactile plates for our movement but there’s a special training needed for understanding which colour of plate leads towards which platform.” For instance, at Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, there are yellow and blue tactile plates leading to the respective Metro lines.

Dr Satendra Singh, Assistant Professor in University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) says, “It is a massive exercise to climb up at that platform for checking when I use callipers instead of crutches. You should see the toilets for the disabled at main Metro stations like Central Secretariat and Rajiv Chowk. These are either locked up or used as stores – I have never seen them working. And the lifts marked for disabled and senior citizens are crammed with all sorts of lethargic people.” 

Perhaps, to make the Metro disabled-friendly in the real sense of the word, it would take a behavioural check from both citizens and authorities to comprehend the problems of the physically challenged.

NHFDC finally responds on my complaints

 

Please also see related posts based on my complaint letter:

'Communication gap' hits disabled students.

NHFDC's MoU with inaccessible PNB branches to harasses students with disabilities.