‘Patience and not backing down’: Kabir Paharia’s SC fight eases MBBS admissions for disabled candidates

NEW DELHI: In a landmark ruling this month, the Supreme Court (SC) directed that Kabir Paharia, a student with multiple half-grown fingers, be admitted to MBBS at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS Delhi) in the upcoming 2025-26 academic session.

The candidate, who had acquired 176th rank in the persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) category in last year’s National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) was thrice deemed ineligible for medical education by medical boards and the Delhi High Court. This was thanks to the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) rule requiring candidates to have "both hands intact" with "intact sensations, sufficient strength, and range of motion" for MBBS admission.

In an earlier judgment in February, the top court termed the rule “arbitrary”, “abelist” and antithetical to the Constitutional provision of equality. It has now asked NMC to revise its disability guidelines.

In an interaction with Careers360, Paharia delves into his legal fight, ambiguities in NMC’s disability norms and the significance of SC’s pronouncements. Edited excerpts:

How are you feeling after the judgment?

I am very happy and overwhelmed because justice was finally provided after such a long time and fight.

Were you hopeful, given that earlier court rulings and medical board examinations weren’t in your favour?

Actually, after the last two examinations, there was very little hope, but it was not finished. That's why I tried the Supreme Court, and by God's grace and our fight, we succeeded.

Why was getting admitted to medical college so important to you despite all these hurdles?

It has been a long journey. I had made up my mind to take up MBBS early on. So, after all this happened, I was pretty sure that I was not given an equal opportunity that I should have been given. So, we took this fight to the court and it paid off.

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Before the NEET exam, you weren’t registered as a person with disability (PwD) and didn’t need a scribe to write exams.

Yes, I was not registered as a PwD. I had to use no assistance. I did all of my work myself, be it practicals or writing examinations, making notes and other activities in school.

So, what made you seek a disability certificate?

It was mainly so that I could have better opportunities in my career and academics.

And you aspire to specialise in pathology or radiology as a doctor?

Yes, because these fields provide work-life balance to some extent.

How do you think your legal fight and the subsequent SC order will benefit other disabled students in the medical field and other disciplines?

I think this judgment will motivate others who are in my position and have been disregarded by the system’s negligence. The disability norms are a little vague, not just in the medical profession, but in other areas too.

I think the judgment will have an impact on the norms that actually stopped me from pursuing medicine the previous year and wasted time. So, I think it has a total overall positive energy for physically disabled candidates.

Can you elaborate on why you consider the norms to be vague?

So, the norm I was subjected to was the ‘both-hands-intact’ rule. We challenged it and the SC has directed that it be updated in the next two months. It was vague because it didn’t consider my own abilities and it didn’t warrant that the board examine the person over their abilities.

During the three examinations you went through, what assessment parameters were used to deem you ineligible for medical education?

In the first test at the Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC Delhi), I was not really made to do anything. They simply saw my X-rays, pointed at the norms and judged me over that.

After the first high court ruling, we went to AIIMS Delhi for the second examination where they only made me do things such as locking fingers and a strength test to get my disability percentage. They didn’t make me handle equipment or anything specific to the MBBS course. In the third, there was a mere verbal communication.

It’s in the SC directed examination that I was actually made to do things that are done in MBBS courses and was judged over my abilities. It was the only time a physical examination was done.

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Do you think that these norms and procedures to determine disability are unfair to the disabled?

I think the unfairness came from the fact that they didn't even give me any time, tested me and that no explanations were provided as to why I was being rejected.

Did you sense any discrimination or bias against the disabled during this struggle?

If you are not judged fairly for your abilities, isn’t that discrimination? I may have felt some level of discrimination because of the norms that are there.

Did you ever experience such discrimination earlier in your life?

I have never felt it throughout my life because I have had great companions. The students in my school were understanding, although there are always some unsavoury people. I don’t think they ever felt that something was missing in me. The same was the case with my teachers, because I did well academically.

Now that the SC has asked NMC to change its disability rules, what would your suggestions be for this revision? How would you want them to be more inclusive?

I will say that if a case is complicated, the person should be given time and a doctor should actually examine his abilities related to the relevant things. If they do a decent job of it, they must be judged over that.

One of the key things that SC said was allowing candidates to complete MBBS and then deciding their specialisation based on their functional abilities. This will keep academic and research opportunities, if not professional, open for PwDs.

These reforms will be beneficial. I think a person shouldn’t be completely barred from the medical sector. There are other things they can do that match their abilities.

What was your biggest learning or takeaway during this journey?

There are two things in particular: first is patience. I was a very impatient person at the start but the court proceedings and everything else built a good amount of patience in me.

Second would be not backing down. After the two disappointments, I had lost hope in the system but the continuous fight is what led to the positive result, not only for me but for many other people that are in the same situation as me. End blurb

Were you exploring any other career opportunities during this struggle?

Yes, I had looked into law as a career option, especially due to all these legal fights.

Do you face any difficulties in your routine life due to the physical differences in your hands?

I don’t face any difficulties because my holding grips are very decent. I can do almost everything that a normal person does and I have adapted because this condition was there, right from my birth.

Other than academics, what are your interests?

I play football, do a little singing and sketch.

Whom did you count on during this fight?

My father, my mom, uncle, aunt and some close friends were big pillars of support for my mental health. My father has been fighting since day-one. I also got a good lawyer in Mr Rahul Bajaj.

Anything that stood out from the judgment that you found reassuring?

The two-month deadline mandated by the court is very reassuring and that this may not happen to others. Even though my year was wasted, those who don’t have the resources to fight in the court must not go through what I went through. I had my pillars of support but some people may not even have that.