The New Indian Express ·
Orissa High Court: ‘Can’t ignore thalassemia as disability under PwD law’
CUTTACK: In a significant verdict, the Orissa High Court has ruled that authorities cannot reject a candidate’s claim under the disability quota merely because thalassemia does not affect the person’s functional ability.
A division bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Chittaranjan Dash has set aside a Medical Assessment Board report that had held an NEET-2026 candidate with Thalassemia Trait ineligible for a disability certificate. The court directed the authorities to conduct a fresh assessment of the candidate’s disability percentage.
The petitioner Harapriya Das had applied for NEET-2026 under the persons with benchmark disability (PwD) category, relying on a certificate issued by a competent authority showing disability of more than 40 per cent. She was subsequently referred to a Medical Assessment Board, which concluded that her condition did not cause any significant functional disability.