CASE DETAILS
Kolkata: The quantum of a person’s disability mentioned in a Unique Disability ID cannot be reassessed again during a medical test for an MBBS course, Calcutta High Court held on Monday, giving a NEET UG successful candidate a second chance at pursuing the course.
Justice Amrita Sinha directed the IPGME&R to issue a fresh eligibility certificate to the candidate, who suffers from a 60% motor disability in the right arm, by Sept 23. Rashid Aktar Hussain participated in NEET (UG) 2026 Examination in the category of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD). His all-India NEET rank in the category is 1936. As per the guidelines on assessment of persons with benchmark disabilities for admission to the MBBS course, 2026, a candidate is required to produce a disability certificate issued by Medical Assessment Board.
This certificate, stating that the candidate is “functional” and that there is no harm to “patient’s safety”, will enable the candidate to move to the second round of counselling to get admission in MBBS. Justice Sinha held that they cannot reassess the “quantum of disability of the candidate and reduce the same from the percentage as disclosed in the disability certificate followed by the UDID card. Considering his all-India ranking, he ought to get admission in a govt medical college, his counsel argued. The candidate has to be functionally competent for being admitted in the course. A Medical Assessment Board conducts the examination to ascertain the functionality of the candidate, the reasonable accommodations, ability to complete MBBS course and patient’s safety assessment. Meanwhile, Centre’s counsel argued that Assessment Board has to verify the nature and extent of the disability of the candidate. It was argued that reduction of the disability percentage makes him ineligible to fall within the bracket of benchmark disability.