In major relief for aspiring civil servants, the Union health ministry has recommended that diabetic, hypersensitive and pregnant women be allowed to join the services. A number of candidates who clear the initial selection process are rejected on medical examination.
UPSC rank holders are declared unfit to join the services on account of diabetes and hypertension. For women candidates, if pregnancy is detected at any stage, they are debarred.
The minimum standards even say that the blood pressure of the candidate should be normal.
However, according to the director-general of health services, diabetes and hypertension are the “most common problems” and hence they have recommended to the Department of Personnel and Training that diabetics and hypertensives should be allowed to join government service if there is no microvascular effect, Dr Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, told this newspaper. Also, for women candidates it has been suggested that “pregnant” women be declared “fit” for the job. “Only those women who are in strenous jobs will be declared unfit temporarily, till the time baby is born,” he added.
The changes have been recommended after the cadre-controlling DoPT approached the health ministry asking them to take a relook at their “unfit” list. After a series of meetings, the technical advisory came out with these suggestions.
“The recommendations have been sent to the DoPT. The recommendations, once implemented, will help a lot of people and are expected to be notified soon,” added Dr Prasad.