Rigzin Sampheal, an IAS officer from the 2003 UP cadre, faced formidable challenges on his path to joining the Indian Administrative Service, inspiring many differently-abled UPSC aspirants despite the recent controversy surrounding Puja Khedkar's misuse of power as an IAS probationary officer in Maharashtra.
Sampheal, hailing from a Scheduled Tribe (ST) background and orthopaedically disabled, scored 120 in the UPSC exam. Initially, he was offered the IRS instead of the IAS, a decision he contested along with his friend Lokesh Kumar, who faced a similar situation despite ranking ninth in the Scheduled Caste category and also being disabled. Their legal challenge led to intervention from the Prime Minister's Office during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure, which resulted in a reassessment by a medical board declaring them fit for IAS roles based on their ranks.
Reflecting on his journey, Sampheal's story serves as a beacon of hope for aspirants from ST backgrounds and those with disabilities. He served in various capacities including district magistrate and collector in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir before opting for voluntary retirement last year.
Arman Ali, president of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), highlighted the broader issues raised by recent events like Khedkar's case. He criticized the exploitation of reservation policies meant to empower marginalized groups, emphasizing that such actions undermine the opportunities rightfully deserved by qualified disabled individuals.
Ali further explained the definition and criteria for disabilities eligible for UPSC quotas, emphasizing that it encompasses conditions that significantly hinder an individual's physical or mental capabilities, impacting their social, educational, or economic prospects. Recognized disabilities under these quotas include blindness, low vision, deafness, hearing impairments, locomotor disabilities like cerebral palsy, leprosy-cured, dwarfism, acid attack survivors, and muscular dystrophy. These conditions are certified by medical authorities to ensure equitable access to opportunities for those who face significant challenges in mainstream settings.
