Disabled candidate gets extra time to write exam

Chennai: The Madras HC has directed the Tamil Nadu public service commission (TNPSC) to accord extra time of an hour to physically challenged persons in the TNPSC group-I written examination scheduled to be held from June 5 to 7.

Justice D. Hariparanthaman, before whom a petition filed by R. Ramesh, a physically challenged person, came up for hearing, said, “When the government order passed by the social welfare and nutritious meal programme department dated September 29, 1993 provides extra time of 50 per cent not exceeding one hour to physically handicapped persons, the TNPSC is not expected to say that only 30 minutes extra time would be granted. Hence, I am of the view that the petitioner should be granted extra time in the light of the above said government order,” the judge said.

In the petition, Ramesh said he had passed the M.Sc. degree and belongs to the Scheduled Caste Arundathiyar community. He had successfully cleared the group-I preliminary exam conducted by TNPSC for 2013, and applied for the main written exam scheduled to be held from June 5 to 7, 2015. “As per the notification, the duration of examination is three hours. As per the government order dated September 29, 1993, I was entitled to get extra time of 50 per cent not exceeding an hour,” he added.