Latest news with #PwBD
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘We don't drink water to avoid inaccessible washrooms': UPSC must get out of its ablest framework
Written by Olly Mohanta With the conclusion of the UPSC civil service examination prelims, the buzz around reforms has grown louder. Experts and commentators are calling for changes in the syllabus, the pattern, and even the upper age limit — all in the name of efficiency and meritocracy. However, amidst these reformist appeals, one voice remains conspicuously absent: Aspirants from the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBDs) category. I write this not as a detached observer, but as someone who has walked — or rather wheeled — through this journey. When I first considered appearing for the exam (before 2015) orthopaedically disabled aspirants like me weren't even allowed scribes. The provision existed for visually impaired candidates, but not for those of us whose locomotor disability made even the act of marking circles on an OMR sheet painfully slow — and sometimes impossible — without assistance. It wasn't just an oversight. It was structural exclusion and ignorance. Even now, many of us continue to face hurdles that no exam syllabus can prepare us for. The Civil Services Aptitude Test paper, introduced as a qualifying test, for instance, often functions as an unspoken barrier for PwBD candidates. Time-bound reasoning and numeracy questions disproportionately impact those who, due to years of inaccessible education or chronic conditions, were never given a fair start. Extra time is a Band-Aid, not a solution, when the foundation itself is fractured. But the issue goes beyond just question papers. The very act of preparing for the UPSC becomes a daily negotiation with neglect. In my pursuit of higher education for years, I travelled 30–40 kilometres one way to attend classes, only to return home from metro stations where the elevators were mostly out of order. There were days I reached classes late or skipped them entirely because hopping into an auto or e-rickshaw wasn't an option, not for someone with wheels beneath them and no accessible infrastructure to support them. Those who advocate for a 'younger, sharper' bureaucracy rarely stop to ask: How does one compete on equal terms when disability arrives in your twenties? When your youth — the most defining years of professional life — is spent not chasing internships or placements, but navigating pain, rehabilitation, and invisibility? I earned a research degree from a premier central government university, but I remain unemployed. Not because I don't want to work, but because age, disability, and lack of formal experience are treated as liabilities. But how do you gain experience if no one hires you to begin with? How is age a standalone marker of efficiency? The private sector doesn't have room for us. And the state public service commissions (PSCs) — ironically — are even more rigid. Many of them refuse to acknowledge the existence of certain disabilities, particularly those who need maximum support. What is left then? For many of us, the UPSC is not a fallback. It is the only ladder that still stands — however frail, however far. Yet, even this ladder is slippery. Many exam centres lack accessible toilets. And so, many of us avoid drinking water for hours before and during the exam. How does one focus on an exam spread across an entire day when basic human needs are held hostage? Shouldn't these also be taken into account when we talk about reforms? When we talk of reforms, they must be holistic. They must include those who have historically been left out of the conversation. The agony that disabled aspirants go through — the delays, the logistical nightmares, the financial strain, the social isolation — is not something that can be measured in cut-offs or mark sheets. Those who shape policy and regulation — bureaucrats, commissions, experts — are looked up to. That gaze carries weight. It demands responsibility, fairness, and inclusion. Merit, in its truest sense, should never be diluted. But let us also ask: Is the scheme of the exam fair to all? If the system privileges those with stable health, full mobility, financial resources, and accessible transport, what merit are we even measuring? Disability-inclusive reforms within the UPSC must not be an afterthought. They must be central to any vision of a just, equitable civil service — one where hope is not rationed, and dignity is not reserved for the able-bodied. The writer is a PwBD UPSC aspirant. This is a first person account
Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
SSC CGL Exam 2025 registration begins for approx. 14582 vacancies at ssc.gov.in, details here
Staff Selection Commission has started the registration process for SSC CGL Exam 2025 on June 9, 2025. Candidates who want to apply for Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2025 can do it on the official website of SSC at The last date to apply for the examination is July 4, 2025. The last to make online fee payment is July 5, 2025. The correction window will open on July 9 and will close on July 11, 2025. The Tier I examination will be held from August 13 to August 30, 2025. This recruitment drive will fill up approx. 14582 vacancies of various Group 'B' and Group 'C' posts in different Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations of Government of India and various Constitutional Bodies/Statutory Bodies/ Tribunals, etc. SSC Stenographer Grade C & D Exam 2025: Notification out for 261 posts, registration begins at Candidates who want to apply for the examination can check the educational qualification and age limit through the Detailed Notification available here. The selection process will comprise of computer based exam in two tiers. Tier I and Tier II. Tier I will consist of Objective Type, Multiple choice questions. The questions will be set both in English & Hindi except for English Comprehension. There will be negative marking of 0.50 marks for each wrong answer. The application fee is ₹100/-. Women candidates and candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) and Ex-servicemen (ESM) eligible for reservation are exempted from payment of fee. Fee can be paid online through BHIM UPI, Net Banking or by using Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, or RuPay Debit cards. SSC CGL 2025 notification releasing today at here's how to apply All candidates who register themselves in response to this advertisement by the closing date and time and whose applications are found to be in order and are provisionally accepted by the Commission as per the terms and conditions of this Notice of Examination will be assigned Roll numbers and issued Admission Certificates (AC) for appearing in the Computer Based Examination. For more related details, candidates can check the official website of SSC.
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- General
- Scroll.in
SSC Stenographer Grade C, D registration begins for 261 posts; here's how to apply
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has invited online applications from eligible candidates for the Stenographer Grade 'C' & 'D' Examination, 2025. Eligible candidates can apply for the posts on the official website till June 26, 2025. The last date to pay the fee is June 27, 2025. The correction window will open from July 1 to 2, 2025. The computer-based examination is scheduled to be conducted from August 6 to 11, 2025. The recruitment drive aims to fill 261 vacancies. Candidates can check the eligibility criteria, pay scale, and other details available in the notification below: Here's the official notification. Application Fee A fee of Rs 100 is applicable. Women candidates and candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) and Ex-Servicemen eligible for reservation are exempted from payment of fee. Steps to apply for Stenographer posts 2025
Scroll.in
4 days ago
- General
- Scroll.in
SSC CHT registration 2025 begins; apply for 437 JTO and other posts till June 26
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has commenced the registrations for the Combined Hindi Translators Examination, 2025. Eligible candidates can apply for the posts at till June 26, 2025. The last date to pay the fee is June 27, 2025. The correction window will open from July 1 to 2, 2025. The computer-based examination (Paper-I) will be conducted on August 12, 2025. The recruitment drive aims to fill 437 vacancies. Applicants should be between the ages of 18 and 30 years as on June 26, 2025. Candidates can check the eligibility criteria, pay scale, and other details available in the notification below: Here's the official notification. Application Fee A fee of Rs 100 is applicable. Women candidates and candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) and Ex-Servicemen eligible for reservation are exempted from payment of fee. Steps to apply for CHTE 2025
Scroll.in
6 days ago
- Business
- Scroll.in
ISRO VSSC recruitment 2025: Apply for 82 Tech Assistant and other posts till June 18, details here
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) has invited online applications from eligible candidates for the recruitment of Technical Assistant, Scientific Assistant, and Library Assistant posts under Advt. No. RMT335. Eligible candidates can apply for the posts at till June 18, 2025. The recruitment drive aims to fill 82 vacancies. The applicants should be between the ages of 18 to 35 years as on June 18, 2025. Candidates can check the vacancy details, eligibility criteria, and other details available in the notification below: Here's the official notification. Application Fee All applicants will have to pay a fee of Rs 750. Female / Scheduled Castes (SC) / Scheduled Tribes (ST) / Ex-servicemen [EX-SM] and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates will be refunded full fee subject to the condition that the candidates should appear in the written test. For other candidates, an amount of Rs 500 will be refunded in due course duly deducting bank charges as applicable on appearing written test. Steps to apply for Tech Asst. and other posts Direct link to apply. Selection Process The applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of the written test and skill test.
