India, March 3 -- The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a provision in the Madhya Pradesh Judicial Services (Recruitment and Conditions of Services) Rules, 1994, preventing visually impaired and low vision candidates from appearing for judicial service in the state.

A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said, "It is high time that we view the right against disability-based discrimination, as recognized in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 (RPwD Act), of the same stature as a fundamental right, thereby ensuring that no candidate is denied consideration solely on account of their disability."

The court was deciding a suo motu petition instituted in January 2024 on a letter received from the mother of a blind ca...