Bhubaneswar: At least 14 disabled persons crack the prestigious exam Odisha Civil Services Exam (OCSE)-2020. This includes five visually impaired (two candidates with 100% vision) candidates, three orthopaedically handicapped, four hearing impaired and two candidates. mental illness,
Although one of the candidates Tapti Raj40 percent visually impaired (VI) who secured 10th rank in OCSE was selected under Unreserved (UR) category. Two of the five Class VI candidates, Prachurya Kumar Pradhan and Prasanna Kumar Panda, are 100 per cent visually impaired.
Panda, a native of Balugaon in Khurda district, has secured 266 rank in OCSE. This was his second attempt. He has also appeared for the Civil Services Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) but could not get success. This college teacher is currently pursuing PhD on European Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru (JNU).
“I will join Odisha civil services and work for the people of the state. success of PWD candidates Will inspire many disabled candidates in future in OCSE,” he said.
The state government is giving four percent reservation in OCSE to disabled persons.
Few years back, as per Clause 8 of Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) Rules 1991, visually impaired candidates were not allowed to sit in OCSE. This clause was an obstacle for him to get into the administrative services of the state.
The rule was challenged in the state administrative tribunal in 2006 by Sanyas Kumar Behera, president of the Odisha Association for the Blind, but it could not be listed for hearing. He later filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the matter in the Orissa High Court on December 22, 2011. In 2014, the court ruled in his favor.
“Later OPSC mentioned in its 2015 advertisement for OCS exam that totally (100 percent) visually impaired persons cannot participate in the exam. We requested the state government to amend the notification. Finally, OPSC amended the rule and allowed us to sit in OCSE,” said Behera, who is working as an OAS officer in the state government.
Behera, who is 100% visually impaired, had secured 220 rank in the OCSE exam result, which was published on February 16, 2017. “The long legal battle yielded good results and many category VI candidates have so far entered the Odisha Civil Services. They will set an example for other PWD candidates who are preparing for the prestigious exam,” he said.
Although one of the candidates Tapti Raj40 percent visually impaired (VI) who secured 10th rank in OCSE was selected under Unreserved (UR) category. Two of the five Class VI candidates, Prachurya Kumar Pradhan and Prasanna Kumar Panda, are 100 per cent visually impaired.
Panda, a native of Balugaon in Khurda district, has secured 266 rank in OCSE. This was his second attempt. He has also appeared for the Civil Services Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) but could not get success. This college teacher is currently pursuing PhD on European Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru (JNU).
“I will join Odisha civil services and work for the people of the state. success of PWD candidates Will inspire many disabled candidates in future in OCSE,” he said.
The state government is giving four percent reservation in OCSE to disabled persons.
Few years back, as per Clause 8 of Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) Rules 1991, visually impaired candidates were not allowed to sit in OCSE. This clause was an obstacle for him to get into the administrative services of the state.
The rule was challenged in the state administrative tribunal in 2006 by Sanyas Kumar Behera, president of the Odisha Association for the Blind, but it could not be listed for hearing. He later filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the matter in the Orissa High Court on December 22, 2011. In 2014, the court ruled in his favor.
“Later OPSC mentioned in its 2015 advertisement for OCS exam that totally (100 percent) visually impaired persons cannot participate in the exam. We requested the state government to amend the notification. Finally, OPSC amended the rule and allowed us to sit in OCSE,” said Behera, who is working as an OAS officer in the state government.
Behera, who is 100% visually impaired, had secured 220 rank in the OCSE exam result, which was published on February 16, 2017. “The long legal battle yielded good results and many category VI candidates have so far entered the Odisha Civil Services. They will set an example for other PWD candidates who are preparing for the prestigious exam,” he said.