Sat Sep 13 20:53:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A news article from The Hindu reports that the representation of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in India’s Central government employment has remained stagnant for over a decade, despite the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 increasing the reservation quota from 3% to 4%. The Supreme Court has raised concerns about the recruitment process, particularly regarding PwD candidates who qualify on merit being placed in reserved posts, which might disadvantage lower-scoring PwD candidates. Government data shows that PwD employees have consistently represented between 0.5% and 1.1% of the total Central government workforce since 2011, with the highest representation in lower-level positions.

**News Article:**

**PwD Representation Stalls in Central Govt. Despite Increased Quota, Supreme Court Raises Concerns**

**NEW DELHI, September 14, 2025** – Despite legislation aimed at improving inclusivity, the representation of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in India’s Central government employment remains stubbornly low, hovering between 0.5% and 1.1% of the total workforce since 2011. This revelation comes amidst ongoing scrutiny and concerns raised by the Supreme Court regarding current recruitment practices.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, enacted in 2016, increased the reservation quota for PwDs from 3% to 4%. However, data from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) shows limited impact on actual employment figures. As of January 2022, PwDs held just 1.15% of positions in Central Ministries, with the highest representation in Group C (Safai Karmachari) posts (1.93%) and the lowest in Group A posts (1%).

The Supreme Court, in a hearing on Friday, expressed apprehension regarding the recruitment of PwD candidates who qualify on merit into reserved positions. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta questioned whether this practice inadvertently denies opportunities to lower-scoring candidates within the PwD category. The Court has requested the Centre to clarify whether meritorious PwD candidates are being “pushed upward” to unreserved posts to create space for those requiring reservation, a move that could potentially improve the overall representation of PwDs.

While absolute numbers of PwD employees have increased marginally from 20,000 in 2016 to 22,000 in 2022, the overall percentage representation has seen minimal change. Incomplete data from the DoPT since 2018 further complicates the picture.

The stagnation in PwD representation raises questions about the effectiveness of the RPwD Act and highlights the need for a deeper examination of recruitment procedures to ensure equitable opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the Central government.

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