New Delhi, Dec. 4 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday underscored the need for digital accessibility and substantive inclusion of persons with disabilities in public examinations, directing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to file within two months a detailed plan of action outlining the timeline, modalities and protocols for deploying screen reader software for visually impaired candidates in competitive examinations. A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said accessibility in examinations cannot remain a "paper promise" and must translate into lived reality through proper technological infrastructure, standardisation and uniformity across examination centres. "The true measure of inclusivity in governance lies not merely in the formulation of progressive policies but in their faithful and effective implementation," the court emphasised in its judgment. The bench issued a series of directions to ensure that visually impaired candidates appearing for UPSC and other public recruitment examinations are provided equal opportunity, in line with the constitutional guarantees of equality, dignity and non-discrimination. The judgment came on a petition filed by Mission Accessibility, a non-governmental organisation advocating for disability rights, represented by advocates Rahul Bajaj and Amar Jain, both visually impaired themselves and co-founders of the organisation. The NGO sought the introduction of screen reader software, accessible digital question papers, and flexibility in scribe registration timelines for visually impaired candidates appearing in the civil services exams. The bench directed UPSC to incorporate a clear provision in every examination notification allowing eligible candidates to request a change of scribe up to at least seven days before the exam date, and to dispose of such requests with a reasoned order within three working days. It ordered the commission to submit a compliance affidavit within two months, delineating its road map for introducing the software, including steps for testing, standardisation and validation of the technology across exam centres. The court also directed UPSC to frame protocols for using assistive technologies, in coordination with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities. The bench stressed that accessibility must be achieved without compromising the sanctity of the examination process....