SC orders Coal India to create post for disabled woman at Assam unit
The apex court directs Coal India’s Assam arm to create supernumerary post, granting relief to Sujata Bora under Article 142
A file image of the Supreme Court (Photo: @IANS)
New Delhi, Jan 14: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the inclusion of persons with disabilities should be seen not just as a legal duty, but as a strategic advantage.
A Bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan said disability rights should be viewed through the prism of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), stressing that true workplace equality can be achieved only when disability inclusion is actively promoted as part of responsible corporate practice.
“Disability inclusion is a vital component of the ‘Social’ dimension in the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework,” the Bench observed urging companies and investors to move beyond token compliance.
The court noted that inclusive workplaces enhance business performance, organisational resilience and broader societal impact.
The remarks came while granting relief to Sujata Bora, a woman with multiple disabilities, and directing the chairman of Coal India Ltd to create a supernumerary post for her at North Eastern Coalfields (NEC), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd with its office at Margherita in Assam’s Tinsukia district.
Invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the apex court intervened after Bora, who had successfully cleared the Coal India Ltd interview for the post of management trainee, was denied appointment.
She had applied under the reserved category for visually handicapped candidates but was subsequently declared unfit on the grounds that she also suffered from residuary partial hemiparesis.
The court took note of international best practices while reinforcing its view. Referring to the International Labour Organization’s 2024 guide, ‘Putting the “I” in ESG: Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities as Strategic Advantage of Sustainability Practices for Corporates and Investors’, the Bench highlighted the ILO’s call for corporates to treat disability inclusion as a strategic advantage rather than a compliance burden.
By directing Coal India Ltd to accommodate Bora through the creation of a supernumerary post at NEC in Assam, the Supreme Court sent out a clear message to public sector undertakings and private corporates alike - disability inclusion is not charity, but a cornerstone of modern, responsible governance.
PTI