Two visually impaired persons, who had applied for the posts of junior lecturer, on Friday alleged that the Odisha Public Service Commission
(OPSC) diverted posts reserved for the physically handicapped
candidates to general category persons. OPSC declared results for the
posts on September 6.
Visually-challenged Manjulata Panda, a PhD student of Utkal University, said none of the 29 candidates selected for the post of junior lecturer in political science is a physically challenged. The Hirakud native, who had qualified in the written test and claimed to have done well in the viva voce, said even if the government did not find a suitable candidate, the post should have remained vacant, according to norms.
Another blind person Ravindra Kumar Sahoo said a normal person grabbed the post of junior lecturer in Sanskrit by producing a fake disability certificate. The Begunia resident, who had also appeared in the test, suspected kickbacks behind diversion of the post to fake certicate holder.
The duo have submitted representations to the commissioner for persons with disabilities Kasturi Mohapatra and demanded high-level inquiry into the matter. "I have asked the OPSC for its response in the matter. We will find out the truth," Mohapatra said.
Source : TOI , 14th September 2013
Visually-challenged Manjulata Panda, a PhD student of Utkal University, said none of the 29 candidates selected for the post of junior lecturer in political science is a physically challenged. The Hirakud native, who had qualified in the written test and claimed to have done well in the viva voce, said even if the government did not find a suitable candidate, the post should have remained vacant, according to norms.
Another blind person Ravindra Kumar Sahoo said a normal person grabbed the post of junior lecturer in Sanskrit by producing a fake disability certificate. The Begunia resident, who had also appeared in the test, suspected kickbacks behind diversion of the post to fake certicate holder.
The duo have submitted representations to the commissioner for persons with disabilities Kasturi Mohapatra and demanded high-level inquiry into the matter. "I have asked the OPSC for its response in the matter. We will find out the truth," Mohapatra said.
Source : TOI , 14th September 2013
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‘OPSC ignores physically challenged in recruitment process’
Source : The Hindu , 14th September 2013
Thirty fiveyear-old Manjulata Panda, a visually challenged girl, fought all odds in her life to achieve the educational qualification that other girls in her category could only dream of, but only to be pushed out of race when it mattered the most.
Ms. Panda while addressing a press conference here alleged her candidature for the post of junior lecture in political science was not considered by Odisha Public Service Commission against the reservation in physically challenged category.
“I underwent stringent selection process – appearing written examination and then personal interviews. Even my antecedents were checked by police department which usually mark completion of recruitment process. However, when the result was declared, my name was not there in the list,” she said.
Ms. Panda said, “I consoled myself that a better candidate might have been selected. But to my utter surprise, there was none in the physically challenged category list.”
Manjulata Panda is said to be the first visually challenged girl from the State to enroll in PhD programme. She completed her Master in Arts and Master in Philosophy from Sambalpur University without the facility of special library for visually challenged people in the State. The brave girl had also overcome various disadvantages – her brother is also visually challenged - at personal level to reach this stage.
Manjulata was not the lone case. Physically challenged persons are treated discriminately as far as following reservation rules for physically handicapped in recruitment process in the State is concerned. One Rabindra Kumar Sahoo, who completed M.Phil programme from Utkal University, made similar allegation.
“A girl with healthy eyesight has been selected for junior lecture post in my place. How can be a normal person selected in physically handicapped category? We struggled more than a decade without the privileges normal students enjoy to reach a stage. Authorities completely ignore our candidature throwing existing rules to wind,” said Mr. Sahoo, who moved the court of State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Odisha over the issue.
Sources said State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities had sought clarification from OPSC over the issue. Sanyas Behera, a prominent activist in the physically challenged sector, said the State had been paying complete disregard to reservation for physically challenged candidates in recruitment process as result of which this disadvantaged group was losing interest from education.
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