New Delhi: The Supreme Court has once again stepped in to push medical authorities to comply with its orders on disability rights in medical education, directing the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to finalise revised disability guidelines for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) by 16 March 2026.
The medical education regulator, NMC, sets the eligibility standards and curriculum for NEET. Meanwhile, the DGHS, under the Ministry of oversees the counselling and seat allocation process. These two are the key authorities responsible for enforcing disability access in NEET.
The apex court’s intervention came last week after it was brought to its attention that its 2025 judgment in Anmol Vs Union of India, striking down ableist eligibility norms for medical admissions, had still not been implemented. The judgment had specifically mandated the immediate removal of the National Medical Commission’s “both hands intact” requirement for MBBS admissions and ordered a transition to functional assessment and reasonable accommodation for candidates with disabilities.
“This order is a powerful reminder that Supreme Court judgments are binding, not advisory,” said Professor Satendra Singh, the founder of Doctors with Disabilities: Agents of Change, who approached the court through an interlocutory application.
“Disability rights are constitutional guarantees, not discretionary concessions dependent on NMC or DGHS convenience. Medical education must align with constitutional morality, not outdated, ableist norms,” he added.
Why court stepped in again
The directions were passed on 19 January after Professor Satendra Singh of University College of Medical Sciences and Dr Pankaj Prasad of AIIMS Bhopal approached the court.
The group argued that despite clear instructions, the NMC had failed to revise disability assessment guidelines.
In February 2025, the Supreme Court further ruled that denying MBBS admission based on a mechanical disability percentage, such as requiring “both hands intact”, was discriminatory and violated the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.
The court mandated functional assessments, reasonable accommodation, and consideration of assistive technology, ordering the NMC to revise guidelines.
In its recent order on 19 January, the Supreme Court noted that the delay in implementing these changes directly impacted the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
“These are issues that vitally affect the rights of persons with disabilities,” the court said, asking authorities to file compliance affidavits by 16 March.
What Anmol judgment said
In Anmol vs Union of India (2024/2025), the Supreme Court struck down the long-standing rule that required medical aspirants to have “both hands intact” to be eligible for admission.
Calling the requirement unconstitutional and rooted in ableism, the court rejected a report submitted by five AIIMS doctors, instead accepting a dissenting opinion authored by Professor Satendra Singh.
The judgment clarified that disability assessments must focus on functional ability—not rigid physical criteria—and must account for assistive devices and reasonable accommodation.
It, at the same time, directed the NMC to revise its guidelines accordingly. But this step has not been completed.
What court ordered
In its latest order, the Supreme Court has directed that revised NEET disability guidelines must be finalised by 16 March this year.
Additionally, there should be an increase in the availability of medical boards so that the candidates with disabilities are not prejudiced, the court said.
The court also directed the NMC and the DGHS to constitute an appellate board to address cases challenging decisions of medical boards.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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