IAS officer Smita Sabharwal’s remarks on PwD quota in AIS triggers discussion

Sabharwal questions the necessity of a disability quota in the All India Services (AIS), which includes the IAS, IPS, and IFoS

Hyderabad: Amid debate over reservation for UPSC aspirants under the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category, senior IAS from Telangana State, Smita Sabharwal’s remarks on the issue, made on X recently, triggered a lot of discussion and evoked mixed reactions from aspirants and senior former IAS officers.

Sabharwal, expressing her opinions on X (formerly Twitter), questioned the necessity of a disability quota in the All India Services (AIS), which includes the IAS, IPS, and IFoS. “With all due respect to the Differently Abled. Does an Airline hire a pilot with a 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 firsthand to people’s grievances – which requires physical fitness. Why does this premier service need this Quota in the first place!”

---

 

As this debate is blowing up-

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…

— Smita Sabharwal (@SmitaSabharwal) July 21, 2024

The senior IAS officer’s comments met with both support and disapproval. One user agreed, extending the argument to reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Backward Classes (BC), suggesting that children of existing officers should not benefit from such reservations. Sabharwal concurred, responding, “Should not be given.”

However, some other social media users said “Most disabilities have no impact on stamina. Or intelligence. But this tweet shows enlightenment and diversity are badly needed.” The controversy surfaced amidst allegations against Puja Khedkar, an IAS officer trainee from the 2023 batch, for allegedly misusing reservation benefits intended for PwD candidates. Similarly, former IAS officer Abhishek Singh from the 2011 batch is also under scrutiny for the same reason.

Under the reservation system for the UPSC civil services examination, four per cent of vacancies are reserved for candidates in the PwD category, as per the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The allegations against Khedkar and Singh have sparked a broader debate over the efficacy and fairness of the quota system.

On Monday morning, Smita Sabharwal took to issue on platform X and said “See a lot of outrage on my timeline. I suppose addressing the elephant in the room gets you that reaction. Would request the rights activists to also examine why this quota has still not been implemented in the IPA/IFoS and certain sectors like defence. My limited point is that the IAS is no different. To live in an inclusive society is a dream that we all subscribe to. Insensitivity has no place in my mind. Jai Hind (sic)”.

 

See a lot of outrage on my timeline. I suppose addressing the elephant in the room gets you that reaction.
Would request the Rights Activists to also examine why this quota has still not been implemented in the IPS/ IFoS and certain sectors like defence.
My limited point is…

— Smita Sabharwal (@SmitaSabharwal) July 22, 2024