The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has postponed the implementation of its recently issued revised guidelines for conducting competitive examinations for persons with disabilities (PwDs) until December 31, 2025, reported PTI.

The decision stems from the unpreparedness of examining bodies to adopt new technology-driven methods, and the need to prioritise the immediate interests of the Divyangjan community.

The DEPwD’s office memorandum stated, "In view of the likely lack of preparedness of examining bodies for introduction and application of technology for conduct of exams and keeping in mind both larger and immediate interest of the Divyangjan community, this is to state that all the competitive public examinations notified/ to be notified until and including December 31, 2025 may be conducted as per the system in vogue before issuing the said guidelines."

Provisions for assistive technologies
While the new guidelines are deferred, the DEPwD encouraged examining bodies to accommodate candidates who wish to use assistive technologies to attempt exams independently during this period. The memorandum noted, "candidates willing to use assistive technologies to attempt exams independently during this period may be 'accommodated and encouraged by examining bodies to the reasonable extent possible.'"

Background of revised guidelines
The deferment follows the government’s notification last month of comprehensive guidelines under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, and the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

These rules introduced stricter measures for scribe usage, mandating agencies like the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), and National Testing Agency (NTA) to establish vetted scribe pools within two years, and phase out the “own scribe” system, which had been flagged for potential malpractices due to instances of collusion between candidates and privately arranged scribes.

The DEPwD announced plans to conduct extensive consultations with stakeholders, including examining bodies, the disability community, and other relevant parties, to refine the examination guidelines before their final implementation. 

This step aims to ensure a smooth transition to technology-driven solutions and supervised scribe pools while addressing concerns about fairness and transparency.

The deferment is intended to provide examining bodies sufficient time to prepare for the technological shift while safeguarding the interests of PwD candidates in the current examination cycle.