Another IAS officer makes headlines, now over PwD quota
Even as the controversy surrounding Probationary IAS Officer Puja Khedkar ceases to die, another IAS officer, Smita Sabharwal, sparked a huge outrage following her objection to reservation in Civil Services for Persons with Disability (PwD).
[Smita Sabharwal (IAS) and Priyanka Chaturvedi (R) as seen in their social media platform X bio.]
Even as the controversy surrounding Probationary IAS Officer Puja Khedkar ceases to die, another IAS officer, Smita Sabharwal, sparked a huge outrage following her objection to reservation in Civil Services for Persons with Disability (PwD).
“Limited thought” and “pathetic and exclusionary views” are the words used by Rajya Sabha Member Priyanka Chaturvedi while she lambasted Smita Sabharwal (IAS) - the Member-Secretary of the Telangana Finance Commission.
“This is such a pathetic and exclusionary view to have. Interesting to see how bureaucrats are showing their limited thoughts and their privilege too.
I haven’t seen bureaucrats criticising the misuse of the quota such as EWS/Non creamy layer or Disabilities and getting into the system but rather about doing away with a reservation that promotes diversity and inclusion. I don’t know how you telling about the number of years in… https://t.co/C6ka5XyESl
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) July 21, 2024
"I haven't seen bureaucrats criticising the misuse of the quota such as EWS/Non creamy layer or Disabilities and getting into the system but rather about doing away with a reservation that promotes diversity and inclusion. I don't know how you telling about the number of years in service is relevant to your point. Thanks anyway”, Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote on X tagging Sabharwal.
Priyanka Chaturvedi was commenting on Sabharwal’s social media post wherein she apparently said civil services is a field work and disables would be unfit for the job.
"With all due respect to the Differently Abled. Does an Airline hire a pilot with disability? Or would you trust a surgeon with a disability?”
“The nature of the AIS (IAS/IPS/IFoS) is field-work, long taxing hours, listening first hand to people’s grievances-which requires physical fitness. Why does this premier service need this Quota in the first place! Just asking (sic)", she added though without naming Puja Khedkar.
Puja Khedkar is facing crackdown after reports claimed she used fake documents to avail benefits in the UPSC norms that are reserved for Special Candidates and those from backward castes.
While investigations are still underway over the allegations against Puja Khedkar, the UPSC on Friday confirmed that the Probationary IAS officer faked her identity. The UPSC also said it has filed an FIR against her and taken initiatives to cancel her appointment.
Commenting on Smitha Sabharwal's post, Arvind Gupta, Trustee of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) warned against exclusionary views and highlighted the need to build more awareness about people with disabilities.
"As a trustee of @ncpedp_india, we see thousands of innovative outcomes by people with disabilities, which is inspirational in many ways. NCPEDP was instrumental in getting disabled people in UPSC & we see them struggling daily due to lack of awareness. If given a universal ecosystem, persons with disabilities can contribute to the mainstream society on an equal basis. It's time we educate ourselves rather than excluding 20 Crore Indians from contributing to a better India," he wrote on social media platform X.
Senior Supreme Court Advocate Karuna Nandy commenting on the post said:
"Amazed that an IAS officer would be so fundamentally ignorant about disability. Most disabilities have no impact on stamina. Or intelligence. But this tweet shows enlightenment and diversity are badly needed."
The UPSC reserves 4% of vacancies in civil services recruitment for candidates under the PwD category, as per the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
However, allegations that at least the two IAS officers misused the reservation benefits have sparked a debate over the quota for the PwD category.
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