Today, Thursday, October 3, the Supreme Court (SC) allowed an MBBS aspirant who suffers from muscular dystrophy to be examined by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to check the status of the aspirant's disability while using an assistive device, in order for him to pursue medical education.
As per an update by Bar and Bench, the MBBS candidate has secured an All India Rank (AIR) 84 in the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) examination.
Addressing the respondent, the Union of India, Justice JB Pardiwala said, “Let him have a chance to study what we wants. We must help them do it. Look at Stephen Hawking.”
What is Muscular dystrophy?
Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive weakness and degeneration of skeletal muscles. Many people with MD eventually lose the ability to walk.
The Supreme Court order marks a crucial step toward inclusivity for people with disabilities, ensuring their access to medical education.
It might also be recalled that two weeks ago, on September 18, the apex court allowed a candidate with nearly 45 per cent speech and language disability to be admitted to the MBBS course after a medical board constituted by the court opined that he could pursue medical education.
The court directed that the candidate be admitted to the seat, which was earlier directed to be kept vacant.
