Archive · 16 Jan 2026
Disability Cases Face Delays in India's Judicial System
People with disabilities in India are facing long delays in the court system when trying to get justice for important issues.
For example, one man named Nipun Malhotra has been waiting since 2017 for a court to decide if things like hearing aids and special vehicles should have taxes on them.
The court has only heard his case a few times and keeps delaying it.
This makes things expensive for people who need these items.
The Supreme Court recently said these cases should be prioritized, but many people think the courts need bigger changes to really help.
There are also other cases where people with disabilities are not getting fair chances for jobs.
Some courts, like the Delhi High Court, are trying to make things faster for these cases, but there are still many problems to fix.
Nipun Malhotra has been fighting a case since 2017 against GST on assistive devices, with only four hearings and eight adjournments.
The Supreme Court issued a circular in December 2023 to prioritize cases involving people with disabilities (PwD), acid attack victims, senior citizens over 80, and those below the poverty line.
Disability rights activists welcome the move but remain skeptical due to chronic pendency and systemic issues in the judicial system.
The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) filed a petition in 2021 challenging a government notification that exempted certain services from disability reservations.
The Delhi High Court has implemented a system to prioritize PwD cases, but there are concerns about the effectiveness of this system for pending cases and the lack of a database on PwD matters.
- Who
- People with disabilities (PwD) and disability rights activists like Nipun Malhotra and Rajiv Raturi
- What
- Delays in the judicial system for disability-related cases
- When
- Since 2017, with recent developments in 2023 and 2024
- Where
- India, primarily in the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court
- Why
- Due to systemic issues and lack of prioritization in the judicial process
- Activist
- Nipun Malhotra
- Case Listings
- 13 times
- Case Adjournments
- 8 times
- Case Hearings
- 4 times
- Last Hearing Date
- July 2024
- Supreme Court Circular Date
- December 29, 2023
- Petition Filed by NPRD
- November 2021
- Interim Relief Date
- March 2022