Case Title : MISSION ACCESSIBILITY vs UNION OF INDIA & ORS.
Citation : 2025 INSC 1376
Date : 03.12.2025
Hon’ble Supreme Court Bench – Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta
The Supreme Court of India, in the case of Mission Accessibility vs. Union of India & Ors. (W.P.(C) No. 206/2025) delivered on December 3, 2025, issued crucial directions to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to ensure substantive equality and accessibility for candidates with disabilities in competitive examinations. The public interest litigation, filed by the organization ‘Mission Accessibility,’ highlighted procedural barriers in the Civil Services Examination (CSE), particularly the restrictive timeline for registering a scribe and the incomplete rollout of accessible technology for visually impaired candidates.
To bridge the gap between policy intent and on-ground implementation, the Court issued the following specific, binding directions :
- The UPSC must modify its examination procedure to allow PwD candidates, who are eligible for a scribe, to request a change of scribe up to at least seven days before the date of the examination. Such requests must be processed objectively and disposed of with a reasoned order within three working days.
- Recognizing UPSC’s in-principle decision to introduce Screen Reader Software (SRS) for visually impaired candidates, it directed the UPSC to file a comprehensive compliance affidavit within two months, detailing plan, timeline, and modalities for the implementation of the Screen Reader Software infrastructure in forthcoming examinations.
- The UPSC was further directed to coordinate with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) and the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) to formulate uniform guidelines and protocols for the use of SRS and other assistive technologies, ensuring the sanctity and fairness of the examination process are maintained alongside accessibility.
