Puja Khedkar case: ‘…trust surgeon with disability,’ Smita Sabharwal stirs row with post on PwD quota in Civil Services

Even as the IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar’s case continues to make headlines, another bureaucrat from Telangana has created a storm. Smita Sabharwal has questioned the need for a disability quota in All India Services (AIS) in her posts on X. She compared government officials to pilots and questioned whether airlines would hire a person with a disability or whether somebody would trust a surgeon with a disability. She took to X to address her opinion.

“As this debate is blowing up

With all due respect to the Differently Abled.

Does an Airline hire a pilot with disability? Or would you trust a surgeon with a disability,” Sabharwal said.

She also said that government servants work long hours, which requires physical strength.

“The nature of the #AIS ( IAS/IPS/IFoS) is field-work, long taxing hours, listening first hand to people’s grievances-which requires physical fitness.

Why does this premier service need this Quota in the first place! #justasking,” she added.

Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised Sabharwal’s point of view and called it exclusionary.

Taking to X, she wrote, “This is such a pathetic and exclusionary view to have. Interesting to see how bureaucrats are showing their limited thoughts and their privilege too.”

In response to Priyanka Chaturvedi’s comments, Smita Sabharwal highlighted her experience of 24 years in the service.

“Madam, with due respect, if bureaucrats do not speak on pertinent issues of governance, then who will? My thoughts and concern stem from a career of 24 odd years… no limited experience,” she replied.

Smita Sabharwal asked Priyanka Chaturvedi to read her opinion in full.

“Kindly read the view in entirety. I have stated that the #AIS has different demands compared to other Central Services. The talented differently-abled can surely find great opportunities,” she wrote on X.

Chaturvedi further criticised Sabharwal’s view and said that she has never seen bureaucrats criticising the misuse of reservations.

“I haven’t seen bureaucrats criticising the misuse of the quota such as EWS/Non creamy layer or Disabilities and getting into the system but rather about doing away with a reservation that promotes diversity and inclusion. I don’t know how you telling about the number of years in service is relevant to your point. Thanks anyway [sic],” she wrote on X.

Senior Supreme Court Advocate Karuna Nundy also criticised Smita Sabharwal’s post and called it ignorant.

“Amazed that an IAS officer would be so fundamentally ignorant about disability. Most disabilities have no impact on stamina. Or intelligence. But this tweet shows enlightenment and diversity are badly needed,” she posted on X.

The debate on the quota issue arose after the recent Puja Khedkar case, in which a 2023-batch probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Puja Khedkar, was accused of submitting false documents to avail of selection in the disability quota.