Delhi HC seeks AIIMS opinion on candidate’s disqualification

AIIMS: The Delhi High Court has asked the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to appoint a medical board to provide an expert opinion regarding the ineligibility of a candidate who cleared the NDA exam but was declared medically unfit due to a blood disorder.

The vacation bench of Justice Pratibha M Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta was hearing a plea seeking directions to the Centre, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and others for admitting the petitioner, Shlok Sachin, into the National Defence Academy (NDA) for the session commencing from July 2.

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The petition has challenged the letters dated March 18 and May 22 issued by the Air Force Central Medical Establishment through its commanding officer, by which Sachin was declared unfit for enrolment in the Indian Air Force and Tri Services.

In an order dated June 18, the bench said, “The case of the petitioner is that he was selected for enrolment in the Indian Air Force; however, when the medical test was undertaken by the medical board, he was found unfit on the ground that he was diagnosed with haemoglobinopathies (HbE trait).”

The HbE trait is a genetic condition where a person carries one gene for normal haemoglobin (HbA) and one for an abnormal haemoglobin called HbE.

The court noted that though Sachin secured the 226th rank in the examination, he was declared medically unfit, following which he appealed against the board’s decision dated March 18, but the appeal board also rejected his plea on May 22.

“The question that arises in the present petition is whether the petitioner’s condition, i.e., HbE trait, would be hit by the eligibility clause (regarding the medical standards of candidates) or not,” it said.

The court issued notices to the Centre, UPSC, Air Force Central Medical Establishment and others, seeking reasons for declaring the petitioner unfit on the next date of hearing on July 25.

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It said the appeal board’s decision provided “no clear reasoning” for rejecting Sachin.

“Considering this position, let a medical board be appointed by AIIMS, New Delhi, to give an expert opinion to this court on the candidature of the petitioner, considering the ineligibility clause. The said medical board shall also submit its report by the next date of hearing,” the court said.

Sachin was directed by the court to appear before the board on June 20.