In Brief
Sujata Bora, a visually impaired woman with 57% disability, applied for a Coal India Limited Management Trainee position under the reserved category in 2019. Though selected for interview, she was declared unfit at the medical exam stage due to combined visual and partial motor impairments. The High Court's Single Judge directed her reconsideration under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, but the Division Bench reversed this on technical grounds of panel expiry. The Supreme Court allowed her appeal, holding that procedural technicalities cannot override substantive disability rights. The Court affirmed her eligibility, recognized "reasonable accommodation" as a fundamental right essential to equality, and directed her appointment as a supernumerary Management Trainee, emphasizing that disability inclusion is a constitutional obligation and corporate responsibility.
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