News

Volume 3 Issue 5 - March 01, 2005

IFS to now include disability quota

DNIS News Network - This year has its share of good news: the Indian Foreign Service is also open to disabled candidates.

Last year, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) opened its doors to persons with disability. This year has its own share of good news: the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is also open to disabled candidates.

Now, about 12 of the total 26 Civil Services (including the IAS, IFS, DANICS and Indian Civil Accounts Service) have been opened to persons with disability in the country.

This development was announced by the Foreign Secretary to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), early last month.

According to Jayati Chandra, Joint Secretary (Disability), MSJE, “IFS takes in about 20 candidates every year. The reservation on this amounts to one seat for the disabled. It has been decided that this seat will be reserved for one kind of disability every year by rotation. This year it will be reserved for the hearing impaired.” Chandra also added that all other Services, which did not apply to the MSJE for exemption from giving reservation to disabled people, would be considered open to accommodate disabled candidates.

Javed Abidi, Executive Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, suggested that the Ministry should ensure the Union Public Service Commission immediately issue an advertisement stating all the deemed open services and the other services, which have quotas for persons with disability. The sector has also been demanding the rationalisation of reservations in, and the opening up of, more Services for persons with disability.