Physically Handicapped Criteria for UPSC: All About Physically Handicapped Reservations

The Union Public Service Commission provides various facilities to aspirants who are differently-abled in the form of age limit relaxations, reservation of certain posts and special provisions for exam centers. However, differently-abled people cannot apply to all of the services in the Civil Services. Let us see what posts are available for such candidates and what the criteria are to avail the benefits under the physically handicapped category in UPSC and the physically handicapped reservations.

Physically Handicapped Category

The Commission assigns a UPSC category code for different disabilities. The following table lists the various codes that UPSC assigns for different categories of physical handicaps (PH) or disability eligible for the IAS exam:

Code	Physical Requirements	Code	Functional Classification
S	Sitting	OH	Orthopaedically Handicapped
ST	Standing	MW	Muscular Weakness
W	Walking	BL	Both Legs
MF	Manipulation by Finger	OL	One Leg
PP	Pushing and Pulling	OAL	One Arm One Leg
BN	Bending	BLA	Both Legs and Arms
L	Lifting	BLOA	Both Legs One Arm
KC	Kneeling and Crouching	BL	Both Legs
SE	Seeing	VH	Visually Handicapped
RW	Reading and Writing	LV	Low Vision
B	Blind
H	Hearing/Speaking	HH	Hearing Handicapped
C	Communication	PD	Partially Deaf
FD	Fully Deaf

The presence of any one or more of the above-mentioned conditions is defined as a disability by the UPSC. The commission updates this list based on advancements in medical technology and new categories may be added in the future. Aspirants should check the latest IAS notification for the same.

Civil Service Posts for Physically Handicapped Persons

Physical standards are set for each post. Below is a table summarizing the services with their list of physical requirements:

Also Read: Insights into the Reservation System in India

Name of the Service	Category	Physical Requirement	Functional Classification
Indian Administrative Service	Locomotor Disability	BA, OA, OL, BH, BL, MW, BLA, OAL, BLOA	S, ST, W, SE, H, RW, C
–	Hearing Impairment	PD, FD	MF, L, PP, BN, KC, ST, W, H, C, RW
–	Visual Impairment	LV, B	MF, L, PP, BN, KC, ST, W, H, C, RW
Indian Revenue Service	Locomotor Disability	OL, OA	S, W, ST, BN, L, ME, SE, RW, C, H
	Hearing Impairment	HH	S, ST, L, W, BN, ME, SE, RW, C, H
Indian Foreign Service	Locomotor Disability	OA, OAL, OL	S, ST, W, C, RW, SE, MF
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	H
–	Visual Impairment	LV	SE, RW
Indian P&T Accounts and Finance Service	Locomotor Disability	OA, OAL, OL, BL, BA, MW, BH	S,SE, W, RW, C, ST, BN, L, H, KC, MF, PH
–	Hearing Impairment	D, PD	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV, B	As above
Indian Audit and Account Service	Locomotor Disability	OL, OA	S, W, ST, BN, SE, C, RW
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	As above
Indian Defence Account Service	Locomotor Disability	OA, OL	S, ST, BN, W, SE, C, RW
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV	As above
Indian Revenue Service	Locomotor Disability	OA, OAL, OL, BL	S,W, ST, RW,SE, C
–	Hearing Impairment	FD, PD	MF,PP,L,KC, ST,BN,ST,C,W,H,RW
–	Visual Impairment	B, LV	MF,PP,L,KC, ST,BN,ST,C,W,H,RW
Indian Ordnance Factories Service	Locomotor Disability	OL, OA	S,ST,W,BN,RW, SE,H,C
–	Hearing Impairment	PD	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV	As above
Indian Civil Accounts Service	Locomotor Disability	OA, OAL, OL, BL	S,W, ST,SE, RW, C,H
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV	As above
Indian Postal Service	Locomotor Disability	OL, OA	S,W, ST,SE, RW, C,H, BN
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV	As above
Indian Railway Accounts Service	Locomotor Disability	OA, OAL, OL, BL, BLAO	S,BN, RW, MF, SE,C
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	As above
Indian Railway Personnel Service	Locomotor Disability	OL, OA	S,W, ST,SE, RW
–	Hearing Impairment	PD	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV	As above
Indian Defence Estates Service	Locomotor Disability	OL, OA, BL	S,BL,ST, SE,MF,H,RW,C
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	S, ST, MF, W, BN,C,PP,KC, RW,SE,H
Indian Railways Traffic Service	Locomotor Disability	OL, OA	S,ST, RW, C, SE,H
Indian Information Service	Locomotor Disability	BA, OA, OL, BH, MW, BL, BLA, OAL, BLOA	S,W,ST,,SE ,C, H, RW
–	Hearing Impairment	FD, PD	MF,L,PP,L,KC,BN,ST,H,W,C,RW
–	Visual Impairment	B, LV	MF,L,PP,L,KC,BN,ST,H,W,C,RW
Indian Corporate LAW Service	Locomotor Disability	OA, OL, BL, OAL	ST, RW, SE S,BN,H
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV	As above
Indian Trade Service	Locomotor Disability	BA, OA, OL, BH, MW, BL, BLA, OAL, BLOA	S,ST,SE,W, H, C,RW
–	Hearing Impairment	PD, FD	MF,L,PP,L,KC,BN,ST,H,W,C,RW
–	Visual Impairment	LV,B	MF,L,PP,L,KC,BN,ST,H,W,C,RW
Armed Forces Service	Locomotor Disability	BL, OA, OL	S,ST,W,BN, SE, MF,RW,C
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV, B	As above
Delhi, Andaman Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service	Locomotor Disability	BA, OL, OA, BH, MW BL, OAL, BLA, BLOA	S,ST,W,SE, H RW, C
–	Hearing Impairment	PD, FD	RW,C,MF,PP,L,KC,BN, ST, W,H
–	Visual Impairment	LV, B	PP,MF,,L,KC,BN, W,STH,RW,C
Pondicherry Civil Service	Locomotor Disability	OA, OL, OAL, BL	S,C,ST,SE,W,RW,H
–	Hearing Impairment	HH	As above
–	Visual Impairment	LV	As above

Persons with disabilities sometimes have to face issues in getting allotted to the service of their choice in spite of getting the rank because of the requirements of the nature of the service, but it is not impossible to get a good service for persons with disabilities.

Also Read: Here’s the UPSC Latest News on  Age Limit

Conclusion

If you have reached till this, then probably you have understood about the physically retarded quota, age relaxation and reservation in UPSC for physically handicapped. For more informative posts, keep your eyes here on this page. You can also share your thoughts and queries by commenting in the below box.