The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to explore possibilities to appoint candidates with physical disabilities in civil services, PTI reported. A bench of Justices SA Nazeer and V Ramasubramanian said that feasibility of the decision should also be taken into account.

“They may not fit into all categories,” the bench said. “Sympathy is one aspect, and practicality is another aspect. You [the government] please look into it.”

Attorney General R Venkatramani, appearing on behalf of the Centre, submitted that the government was looking into the matter and sought more time.

The court then said it would hear the case in January 2023.

In March, the Supreme Court had allowed candidates with physical disabilities, who have cleared the civil services written exam, to provisionally apply to the Union Public Service Commission for selection in three categories.

In an interim order, the court had said that the candidates can apply for selection in the Indian Police Service, Indian Railways Protection Force Service, and Delhi, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Police Service, or DANIPS.

It had passed the order on a petition filed by a non-governmental organisation named National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled.