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Punjab & Haryana HC Directs Relaxation of Qualifying Marks for PwD, Upholds RPWD Act 2016 & Articles 14, 16, 21

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
01 Mar 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:4% reservation for PwD2.68 crore PwD (2011 Census)Articles 14, 16, 21
Bodies:Punjab and Haryana High CourtHaryana Public Service Commission (HPSC)Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB)Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)Supreme Court of India
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Haryana government and HPSC to relax qualifying marks for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) in recruitment, terming it a constitutional obligation.

2.The court cited the RPWD Act 2016, Articles 14, 16, and 21, and the Supreme Court's Jeeja Ghosh judgment to assert that equality requires 'reasonable accommodation' and affirmative action.

3.A committee must be formed within two weeks to finalize relaxed norms, which will then be applied to reconsider petitioners' cases, with compliance affidavits required from Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh within three months.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has ruled that not providing relaxation in qualifying marks for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) in government recruitment violates the constitutional guarantee of substantive equality. This landmark judgment reinforces the RPWD Act 2016's mandate for 'reasonable accommodation' and directs the Haryana government to implement such relaxations immediately, setting a precedent for all public sector recruitments.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

CourtPunjab and Haryana High Court
BenchJustice Harpreet Singh Brar
RPWD Act Reservation4% (1% for locomotor disability)
PwD Population (2011 Census)2.68 Crore
Key Legal ReferencesArticles 14, 16, 21; RPWD Act 2016; Jeeja Ghosh (2016)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Court: Punjab and Haryana High Court
  • ›Bench: Justice Harpreet Singh Brar
  • ›Target this Data: 4% reservation for PwD under RPWD Act 2016 (1% for locomotor disability).
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) - issued guidelines on relaxations (2018, 2022).
  • ›Target this Legal Point: 'Reasonable Accommodation' defined under Section 2(y) of the RPWD Act, 2016.

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Q1Static LinkageEasy

The Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment references guidelines issued by which central government department regarding relaxations for Persons with Disabilities in recruitment?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment on relaxations for Persons with Disabilities:

1. The court held that relaxation in qualifying marks is a constitutional obligation under Articles 14, 16, and 21 to achieve substantive equality.

2. The judgment stated that the concept of 'reasonable accommodation' is defined under Section 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

3. The court cited the Supreme Court's judgment in the Jeeja Ghosh case (2016) to emphasize a human-rights perspective on disability.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, what is the percentage of reservation mandated for Persons with Disabilities in government jobs?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the core constitutional principle that the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment primarily relied upon to justify relaxations for PwD candidates?

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