The Supreme Court has given UPSC one week to file a compliance affidavit on using screen-reader software and allowing scribe changes for visually-impaired candidates, emphasizing accessibility as a constitutional right
SC has asked UPSC to submit plan for screen-reader software in exams for visually impaired. File Pic
The Supreme Court on Monday gave the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) one week to submit a compliance affidavit detailing its plan for providing screen-reader software and other accessibility measures for visually-impaired candidates in its examinations, reported the PTI.
The matter was heard by a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. During the hearing, the counsel for UPSC said, "We are completely complying with it (directions). We just require a period of one week to place the compliance affidavit on record." The bench accepted the request and posted the matter for further hearing on February 23 as per PTI.
Background: Directions on accessibility
According to the PTI, the Supreme Court had originally passed directives on December 3, 2025, emphasizing that the rights of differently-abled individuals are constitutional guarantees, not acts of benevolence. The court had directed UPSC to ensure that its examination notifications include provisions allowing candidates to request a change of scribe at least seven days before the exam.
The court had also mandated UPSC to submit a comprehensive compliance affidavit within two months. This affidavit was to outline the plan of action, timeline, and methods for deploying screen-reader software. Steps for testing, standardising, and validating the software and related infrastructure as well as the feasibility of making these facilities operational for all eligible candidates from the next examination cycle was also to be outlined.
The directions came in response to a plea by Mission Accessibility, an organisation working for the rights of differently-abled people. The plea sought a modification in the timeline for scribe registration in the UPSC Civil Services Examination and permission for laptops with screen-reader software and accessible digital question papers for eligible candidates, the news agency reported.
The Supreme Court had noted that requests for scribe changes should be objectively considered and disposed of within three working days.
Guidelines for assistive technology
The court had also directed UPSC to work with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities to formulate uniform guidelines and protocols for the use of screen-reader software and other assistive tools and ensure standardisation, accessibility, and security of the examination process across all centres, reported the PTI.
UPSC now has a week to submit its compliance affidavit to the Supreme Court, after which the matter will be heard again on February 23. The court’s focus remains on ensuring that examinations are truly accessible to visually-impaired and differently-abled candidates.
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