NEW DELHI: Supreme Court has ordered that Kabir Paharia , who was rejected thrice by medical boards and judged ineligible to pursue MBBS, be given admission to MBBS in AIIMS, New Delhi, in the 2025-26 session.After a fourth medical board, set up on the SC's orders, declared Kabir eligible in its April 24 report, the court noted that a candidate who secured a rank lower than his had been granted admission under the SC disability quota in MBBS at AIIMS Delhi for 2024-25. Since the 2024-25 academic session must have progressed significantly, it would not be expedient to grant him admission to that session, concluded the court. The court also stated that in view of the high marks secured by Kabir in the NEET UG 2024 examination (542 out of 720), he shall not be required to undergo the 2025 examination.
The court held that denial of admission to Kabir was "grossly illegal, arbitrary", and violative of his fundamental rights. "Such action not only reflects institutional bias and systemic discrimination but also undermines the principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination enshrined in our constitutional framework. The constitutional mandate of substantive equality demands that persons with disabilities (PwD) and PwBD (people with benchmark disabilities) be afforded reasonable accommodations rather than subjected to exclusionary practices based on unfounded presumptions about their capabilities," stated the court in its order.
Kabir Paharia had cleared class X with 91.5% and class XII with 90% marks without the help of a scribe to write the exams. Kabir's disability is described as "congenital absence of multiple fingers in both hands as well as involvement of left foot (2nd and 3rd toe), the extent whereof has been assessed at 42%." Three of the fingers on his left hand are half-grown, as are two on his right hand. On his left foot, two toes are half-grown. The court further directed the National Medical Commission to complete the process of revising the guidelines in light of its earlier judgments, which emphasised functional assessment rather than an assessment of the extent of disability, within a period of two months and at any cost before the counselling for the 2025-2026 session commences.
The court held that denial of admission to Kabir was "grossly illegal, arbitrary", and violative of his fundamental rights. "Such action not only reflects institutional bias and systemic discrimination but also undermines the principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination enshrined in our constitutional framework. The constitutional mandate of substantive equality demands that persons with disabilities (PwD) and PwBD (people with benchmark disabilities) be afforded reasonable accommodations rather than subjected to exclusionary practices based on unfounded presumptions about their capabilities," stated the court in its order.
Kabir Paharia had cleared class X with 91.5% and class XII with 90% marks without the help of a scribe to write the exams. Kabir's disability is described as "congenital absence of multiple fingers in both hands as well as involvement of left foot (2nd and 3rd toe), the extent whereof has been assessed at 42%." Three of the fingers on his left hand are half-grown, as are two on his right hand. On his left foot, two toes are half-grown. The court further directed the National Medical Commission to complete the process of revising the guidelines in light of its earlier judgments, which emphasised functional assessment rather than an assessment of the extent of disability, within a period of two months and at any cost before the counselling for the 2025-2026 session commences.
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