UPSC third ranker gets HC notice to prove his disability
- The Hyderabad High Court has issued notice to Ronanki Gopalakrishna to prove that the disability certificate he had produced is not fake.
- Ronanki Gopalakrishna stood third in the UPC exams.
- It was argued that he cleared the mains even though he scored less marks.
FollowThe third ranker in UPSC- Ronanki Gopalakrishna- from Andhra Pradesh is now battling a legal suit. The Hyderabad High Court has issued notices to the top ranker asking him to prove the genuinity of his disability certificate that he had submitted to UPSC while appearing for the examination.
A PIL regarding the same was filed by advocate M Murali Krishna. He also served notices to the Commission and the Andhra Pradesh government and asked them to submit reports within three weeks.
The petitioner argued that the topper had submitted a fake certificate showing that he has 45% disability in his left arm since his childhood. This enabled him to get through the UPSC Mains even if he got less marks. It is being argued that the disability was not so grave to entitle him a disability status.
While the cut-off for qualifying in the Mains for OBC candidates was 110.66, Ronaki could only secure 91.34. He had not qualified for the mains anyways. The PIL stated, "However, the cut-off mark for physically challenged candidates was 75.34 and since Ronanki had produced the physically challenged certificate, he got qualified for the Mains."
Under Rule 14 of the Rules for the civil services exam, anyone found guilty of producing fake certificates for UPSC exams can be permanently or temporarily barred from the exams, depending on the gravity of the offence.
Not just that, Murali Krishna also argued that while general students got only three hours to complete the papers, disabled students got four hours and Gopalakrishna availed the same. Meanwhile, expressing his shock at the notices, Gopalakrishna said, "I cannot bend my hand because of the fracture and the doctors at the local government hospital certified that I am a disabled person. Even after the personality test at the UPSC, I underwent a medical examination at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi, where the doctors had certified that I suffer from a disability. This happened to me when I had fallen down from a tree when I was 10 years old."
He further added that he hailed from a poor farmer's family and how could he manipulate the certificate. He, however has full faith in the Indian judiciary and said, "The truth will triumph ultimately." Ronanki has been a teacher in a primary school for the last 11 years and is a resident of Parasamba village of Palasa block in Srikakulam district, which is considered to be one of the most backward regions in India.
