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pil-106-10

ORDINARYORIGINALCIVILJURISDICTION

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INTHEHIGHCOURTOFJUDICATUREATBOMBAY

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PUBLICINTERESTLITIGATIONNO.106OF2010

NationalConfederationforDevelopment
ofDisabledandanother
...Petitioners
v/s.
UnionofIndiaandors.
...Respondents

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Mr.Mahesh Jethmalani, Sr.Counsel with Mr.Kamlesh Ghumre and

Ms.GunjanManglai/bMr.RohitMahadikforpetitioners.
Mr.RajeevChavanwithMr.H.V.MehtafortherespondentUoI.
Mr.G.W.Mattos,AGPforState.
...
CORAM:

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DATE:

MOHITS.SHAH,C.J.&
M.S.SANKLECHA,J.
4December2013

P.C.:

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Byconsentofparties,petitionistakenupforfinalhearing.

2.

In this public interest petition, the petitionersNational

Confederation for Development of Disabled have prayed for writ of

mandamustodirecttherespondentstoappointthedisabledpersonsin
terms of Section 33 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal
Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995
(PWDAct)inIndianAdministrativeServicespoststobefilledupeither
bypromotionfromtheStateCivilServicesorbyselectionfrompersons
whoholdgazettedpostsinconnectionwiththeaffairsofastatebutare
not members of the State Civil Services, as per their entitlement
retrospectively from 1996 and to comply with the said provisions
hereafter.
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pil-106-10

Thispetitionwasfiledon8December2010.

4.

In the affidavitinreply filed by Under Secretary in the

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3.

UnionPublicServiceCommissionon1March2011andintheaffidavit
inreply dated 20 April 2012 filed by Under Secretary in the
Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, it was
contended that provisions of Section 33 of PWD Act provides for

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reservation for the persons with disabilities only in the matter of

appointmenttothevacanciesintheestablishment.Itdoesnotprovide
forreservationinthematterofpromotion.Itwasfurthercontended

thatsuchreservationisapplicableforpersonswithdisabilitiesinGroup
CandGroupDasprovidedintheOfficeMemorandumdated20
November1989andinthesubsequentOfficeMemorandumdated29

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December 2005 it is provided that 3% of the vacancies in case of

promotiontoGroupCandGroupDpostsinwhichtheelementof
directrecruitment,ifany,doesnotexceed75%,shallbereservedfor

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personswithdisabilities. Itis,therefore,submittedthatreservations
for persons with disabilities were never available in Group A and
GroupBposts.Itisfurthercontendedthatthewholeschemeofthe
cadre management of officers appointed by promotion to the
promotionquotaofanAllIndiaServiceisquitedifferentinnaturefrom
the scheme of things as are generally prevailing in the matter of
promotionwithinthesameservicefromaGroupB/GroupApostto
aGroupAposts.

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5.

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Inanyviewofthematter,nothingisbroughttoournotice

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indicatingthatpostsintheIndianAdministrativeServicesareexcluded

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fromreservationforpersonswithdisabilities.Infact,inGovernmentof
Indiav/s.RaviPrakashGuptaandanr.(2010)7SCC626,theSupreme
Courtspecificallydealtwiththequestionofreservationinthematterof
appointment to All India Service and held that reservation was
applicabletopostsinGroupsA,B,C&D.TheSupremeCourt
confirmedthedecisionoftheHighCourtandissuedmandamustothe

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CentralGovernmenttoofferthewritpetitionerappointmenttooneof
the reserved posts by issuing appropriate appointment order in the

6.

IndianAdministrativeServices.

InthesaiddecisiontheSupremeCourtalsonotedinparas

20and26thatneitherSection32norSection33ofthePWDActmake

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anydistinction withregardtoGroupsA,B,CandDposts. Itwas

furthernotedthatprovisotoSection33doesempowertheappropriate
Governmenttoexemptanyestablishmentfromtheprovisionsofthe

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said section, having regard to the type of work carried out in any
departmentorestablishment. Nosuchexemptionwasbroughttothe
noticeoftheSupremeCourtonbehalfoftheGovernmentofIndia.Nor
hasanysuchexemptionbeenbroughttoournotice.
7.

Inviewoftheabove,wehavetoproceedonthebasisthat

thereservationisavailableforGroupAandGroupBpostsaswelland
thesamewould,therefore,includepostsintheIndianAdministrative
Services.

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8.

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Learned counsel for the Government of India, however,

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submitsthattheabovedecisionwouldnotnecessarilymeanthatthe

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posts to be filled by promotion are also available for reservation.

Learned counsel submits that the case of Ravi Gupta (supra) was
concernedwithdirectrecruitmenttotheIndianAdministrativeServices
andnotwithregardtopromotion.
9.

Learnedcounselforthepetitionershas,thereupon,invited

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our attention to the recent judgment of three Judge Bench of the

SupremeCourtinUnionofIndiav/s.NationalFederationoftheBlind

10.

&ors.,dated8October2013.

In the said decision, three Judge Bench of the Supreme

CourthasintermsheldthatSection33oftheActestablishesvividly

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theintentionofthelegislatureviz.,reservationof3%fordifferently
abledpersonshastobecomputedonthebasisoftotalvacanciesinthe
strengthofacadreandnotjustonthebasisofthevacanciesavailable

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intheidentifiedposts.TheSupremeCourtanalyzedtheprovisionsof
Section33oftheActandarrivedatthefollowingconclusion:
Thus,afterthoughtfulconsideration,weareoftheviewthatthe
computationofreservationforpersonswithdisabilitieshastobe
computedincaseofGroupA,B,CandDpostsinanidentical
manner viz., computing 3% reservation on total number of
vacancies in the cadre strength which is the intention of the
legislature. Accordingly, certain clauses in the OM dated 29
December2005,whicharecontrarytotheabovereasoningare
struckdownandwedirecttheappropriateGovernmenttoissue
new Office Memorandum(s) in consistent with the decision
renderedbythisCourt.
(emphasissupplied)

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11.

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InviewoftheaforesaiddecisionoftheSupremeCourt,it

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is clear that reservation has to be computed with reference to total

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numberofvacanciesinthecadrestrengthand,therefore,nodistinction
canbemadebetweenthepoststobefilledinbydirectrecruitmentand
bypromotion.Totalnumberofvacanciesinthecadrestrengthwould
includethevacanciestobefilledinbynominationandvacanciestobe
filledinbypromotion.

TheSupremeCourthasgivenfollowingdirectionstothe

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12.

Government of India to ensure proper implementation of the

reservationpolicyforthedisabledandtoprotecttheirrights:

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54.
In our opinion, in order to ensure proper
implementationofthereservationpolicyforthedisabledandto
protect their rights, it is necessary to issue the following
directions:

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(i)
We hereby direct the appellant herein to issue an
appropriateordermodifyingtheOMdated29122005andthe
subsequentOmsconsistentwiththisCourt'sOrderwithinthree
monthsfromthedateofpassingofthisjudgment.
(ii)
We hereby direct the appropriate Government to
compute the number of vacancies available in all the
establishments and further identify the posts for disabled
persons within a period of three months from today and
implementthesamewithoutdefault.
(iii) The appellant herein shall issue instructions to all the
departments/public sector undertakings/Government companies
declaringthatthenonobservanceoftheschemeofreservationfor
personswithdisabilitiesshouldbeconsideredasanactofnon
obedience and Nodal Officer in department/public sector
undertakings/Governmentcompanies,responsiblefortheproper
strictimplementationofreservationforpersonwithdisabilities,
bedepartmentallyproceededagainstforthedefault.

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13.

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In view of the above directions, it is clear that the

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respondentswillhavetogivebenefitsofreservationtopersonswith

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disabilities in the matter of promotion to posts in the Indian

Administrative Services by applying the Office Memorandum dated
29 December 2005 and subsequent Office Memorandum consistent
with the aforesaid judgment dated 8 October 2013 of the Supreme
Courtandaccordinglygivebenefitsofthereservationwitheffectfrom
29December2005.

Writpetitionis,accordinglyallowedintheaforesaidterms.

CHIEFJUSTICE

(M.S.SANKLECHA,J.)

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the date of issuance of the said Office Memorandum dated

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