Differently-abled candidates, also known as persons with disabilities (PWD), often face various challenges when it comes to accessing education and employment opportunities. To ensure inclusivity and equal opportunities, governments and educational institutions have implemented several relaxations in eligibility criteria for differently-abled candidates. These relaxations aim to provide them with a level playing field and enable them to pursue their educational and career aspirations.


- One of the key relaxations for differently-abled candidates is the reservation of seats in educational institutions and government jobs. This helps in ensuring representation and equal opportunities for PWD candidates.
- The reservation percentage may vary across different categories of disabilities, such as visual impairment, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, intellectual disability, etc.


- Differently-abled candidates often face challenges in completing their education within the regular time frame due to various reasons. To address this, relaxation in the upper age limit is provided to PWD candidates for various competitive exams, such as UGC NET.
- This relaxation allows them to appear for exams even if they have crossed the regular age limit criteria.


- In some cases, differently-abled candidates are exempted from fulfilling certain eligibility criteria that are not feasible for them due to their disabilities.
- For example, candidates with visual impairment may be exempted from the requirement of having a specific educational qualification that heavily relies on visual skills.


- Educational institutions are required to provide necessary assistive aids and facilities to differently-abled candidates to ensure their smooth learning experience.
- These aids may include screen readers, Braille books, sign language interpreters, accessible classrooms, ramps, etc. These facilities enable PWD candidates to overcome their physical or sensory limitations and actively participate in the educational process.


- Differently-abled candidates are often provided with special examination arrangements to accommodate their specific needs.
- These arrangements may include extra time, scribes, separate examination centers, accessible question papers, etc. These measures ensure that PWD candidates can effectively demonstrate their knowledge and abilities during exams.

In conclusion, there are several relaxations in eligibility criteria for differently-abled candidates. These relaxations include reservation of seats, relaxation in age limit, exemption from certain eligibility criteria, provision of assistive aids and facilities, and special examination arrangements. These measures aim to create an inclusive and accessible environment for differently-abled candidates, enabling them to pursue their educational and career goals on an equal footing with others.