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Supreme Court Seeks Government Response on Plea for Rail Quota, Fare Concessions for Acid Attack Survivors

The petition says Railways’ rules ignore RPwD protections, causing an arbitrary denial of affordable travel or reserved seats.

Overview

  • A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued notices to the Railways Ministry, DEPwD, NCW and IRCTC on the PIL.
  • Atijeevan Society filed the petition under Article 32, represented by advocate Anandh Venkataramani.
  • The plea says acid attack survivors are recognised under the RPwD Act, 2016 but are excluded from concessions under Coaching Tariff No. 26 and from disability reservation quotas.
  • It alleges violations of Article 14 and the right to live with dignity under Article 21, citing Section 41(2) on affordable personal mobility for persons with disabilities.
  • The filing notes survivors must often travel long distances for repeated surgeries at limited tertiary centres and may require AC coaches that are frequently unaffordable.