In Brief
The Supreme Court addressed whether Section 47 of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 protects all disabled employees or only those meeting the definition in Section 2(i). Transport employees with acquired disabilities sought protection against service termination or rank reduction. The Court held that Section 47's protections apply exclusively to persons covered by Section 2(i)'s definition of disability. Employees outside this definition may access employer welfare schemes but cannot invoke statutory Section 47 protections. The Court rejected the Madras High Court's view that 'disability' in Section 47 requires independent interpretation, instead following the Delhi High Court in holding that statutory definitions must be applied consistently.
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