AIIMS finds Lady Hardinge Medical College doctors wrongly disqualified disabled MBBS students
New Delhi: A shocking case of wrong disability certification has come to light at Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), where two hearing-impaired students were wrongly declared ineligible for MBBS persons with disabilities (PWD) quota seats.
The students, who had cleared NEET, already had Unique Disability ID cards showing their hearing disability levels at 63% and 50%. But when they appeared before the three-member LHMC medical board, senior doctors reportedly reduced their disability levels to 14% and 2%, making them ineligible for the reservation available to students with disabilities.
The matter reached the Delhi High Court after the two students filed a petition against the certification. Based on it, the court then constituted an AIIMS board and asked them to conduct fresh tests.
After a series of clinical and audiological examinations, the AIIMS experts confirmed the students’ disability levels to be 66.5% and 43.13%, both above the 40% mark needed to claim quota benefits.
Because of the wrong certification by LHMC, the students missed their chance in the first round of MBBS counselling. Acting on the AIIMS report, the court has now allowed them to participate in the second round.
Regarding the tests, the candidates were evaluated clinically and audiologically through five different tests. The first two (Pure Tone Audiometry and Speech audiometry) are subjective hearing tests, as the response depends upon the cooperation of the patients. However, the next three (Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry or BERA/ABR, otoacoustic emission and impedance audiometry) are objective hearing tests that do not require the cooperation of the patient and therefore are being utilised with an increased frequency for detecting malingering or to determine if a candidate is feigning a higher level of hearing loss.
BERA, which is the test that provides clinching evidence, is available in most physiology and ENT departments in Delhi hospitals and if properly used, could have prevented the error.
Meanwhile, this incident has raised questions about other candidates who might have been disqualified by the same board, but who could not afford to approach the court.
Strongly criticising the incident, Dr Satendra Singh, founder member of Doctors with Disabilities: Agents of Change, an association representing health professionals with disabilities in India, have demanded an enquiry into the certification process in LHMC and against the doctors who wrongly certified the students.
Questioning the intent, Dr Singh told TOI, “Much uproar is raised over fake disability certificates, but who questions the doctors on three-member medical boards who arbitrarily assign percentages? With clearly gazetted assessment guidelines in place, how can 50-60% suddenly shrink to 2% or 14%? These are not mere mistakes, but grave blunders that crush students’ careers and amount to medical negligence."
Also read- NEET Counselling 2025: MCC adds 13 new disability certification centres, activates PwD portal
