The Union Public Service Commission provides various concessions to differently-abled candidates in terms of age limit relaxation for physically handicapped aspirants, reservation of posts and special provisions in exam centres etc. However, not all services through the Civil Services Examination are open for physically handicapped candidates. In this article, we bring you the various UPSC posts available for handicapped candidates. We have also included the physically handicapped criteria for UPSC.
UPSC Physically Handicapped Category
The Commission assigns a UPSC category code for different disabilities. The following table lists the various categories of physical handicaps(PH) or disability which are eligible for the IAS exam–
| Code | Physical Requirements | Code | Functional Classification |
| S | Sitting | OH | Orthopaedically Handicapped |
| ST | Standing | MW | Muscular Weakness |
| W | Walking | BL | Both Legs |
| MF | Manipulation by Finger | OL | One Leg |
| PP | Pushing and Pulling | OAL | One Arm One Leg |
| BN | Bending | BLA | Both Legs and Arms |
| L | Lifting | BLOA | Both Legs One Arm |
| KC | Kneeling and Crouching | BL | Both Legs |
| SE | Seeing | VH | Visually Handicapped |
| RW | Reading and Writing | LV | Low Vision |
| B | Blind | ||
| H | Hearing/Speaking | HH | Hearing Handicapped |
| C | Communication | PD | Partially Deaf |
| FD | Fully Deaf |
The UPSC defines disability as the presence of any one or more of the conditions listed above. The commission updates this list based on advancements in medical technology and new PH categories may be added in the future. Aspirants should check the latest IAS notification for the same.
Civil Service Posts for Physically Handicapped Persons
The requirements of physical standards for UPSC Civil Services are different for every post. We have compiled the physical requirements of each service in the following table:
| Service | Categories for which identified | Functional Classification | Physical Requirements |
| Indian Administrative Service | Locomotor disability | BA, OA, OL, BH, BL, MW, BLOA, BLA, OAL | C, S, W, ST, SE, RW, H |
| Visual impairment | B, LV | C, MF, RW, PP, KC, L, BN, ST, W, H | |
| Hearing impairment | FD, PD | C, PP, KC, MF, L, BN, ST, RW, W | |
| Indian Foreign Service | Locomotor disability | OA, OL, OAL | RW, ST, S, W, C, SE, MF |
| Visual impairment | LV | SE, RW | |
| Hearing impairment | HH | H | |
| Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise, Gr. A) | Locomotor disability | OL, OA | C, S, BN, L, SE, RW, H, MF, W, ST |
| Hearing impairment | HH | C, H, S, L, ST, W, BN, SE, RW, MF | |
| Indian P&T Accounts & Finance Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | BH, BA, BL, OA, OL, MW, OAL | BN, KC, S, PP, SE, W, RW, C, ST, H, L, MF |
| Visual impairment | LV (PB), B | BN, C, W, PP, S,RW,ST,H,L,KC,MF | |
| Hearing impairment | PD, FD | BN, C, S, SE, W, RW, ST, KC, L, MF, PP | |
| Indian Audit & Accounts Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OL, OA | BN, S, SE, C, W, RW, ST |
| Hearing impairment | PD | S, ST,W,SE,RW, BN, C | |
| Indian Defence Accounts Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OL, OA | S, ST, W, BN, SE, RW, C |
| Indian Revenue Service (I.T.), Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OA, OL, OAL, BL | S,ST,SE,RW,C, W |
| Visual impairment | LV, B | MF, L, KC, BN, | |
| ST, W, H, RW, C, PP | |||
| Hearing impairment | PD, FD | MF,PP,L,KC,BN, | |
| ST, W,RW,C, H | |||
| Indian Ordnance | Locomotor disability | OA, OL | S,ST,W,BN,RW, SE,H,C |
| Factories Service, Gr. A | Visual impairment | LV (PB) | S, ST, W, RW, SE, H, C, BN |
| Hearing impairment | PD | S, ST, W, BN, RW, SE, H(Speaking), C | |
| Indian Postal Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OA, OL | S, ST, W, RW, SE, H, C, BN |
| Visual impairment | LV | S, ST, W, BN, SE, H, C, RW | |
| Hearing impairment | HH | S, ST, W, BN, RW, SE, H, C | |
| Indian Civil Accounts Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OA, OL, OAL, BL | S,ST,W,RW,H,C, SE |
| Visual impairment | LV | S,ST,W,SE, RW,H,C | |
| Hearing impairment | HH | S,ST,W,SE, RW,H,C | |
| Indian Railway Accounts Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OA, OL, OAL, BL | S,ST,W,RW,C,H, SE |
| Visual impairment | LV | S, ST, W, RW, SE, C, H | |
| Hearing impairment | PD | S, ST, W, RW, SE, C, H | |
| Indian Railway Personnel Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OA, OL | S,ST,BN,SE,C,W,H,RW |
| Visual impairment | LV | S, ST, BN, SE, C, W, H, RW | |
| Hearing impairment | PD | S, ST, BN, SE, C, W, H, RW | |
| Indian Railway Traffic Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OA, OL | S, ST, W, SE, RW, |
| H, C | |||
| Indian Defence Estates Services, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | OA, OL, BL | S,ST,W,BN,MF,PP,KC,SE,RW,H,C |
| Visual impairment | LV | S, ST, W, BN, MF, PP, KC, SE, RW, H, C | |
| Hearing impairment | HH | S, ST, W, BN, MF, PP, KC, SE, RW, H, C | |
| Indian Information Service, Gr. A | Locomotor disability | BA, OL, OA, BH, MW, BL, OAL, BLA, BLOA | S,ST,W,RW,SE,H,C |
| Visual impairment | LV, B | MF,PP,L,KC,BN, | |
| ST,W,H,RW,C | |||
| Hearing impairment | PD, FD | MF, PP, L, KC, BN, | |
| ST, W, H, RW, C | |||
| Indian Trade Service, Gr. A (Gr. III) | Locomotor disability | BA, OL, OA, BH, MW, BL, OAL, BLOA, BLA | S,ST,W,SE, H, RW,C |
| Visual impairment | LV, B | MF, PP, L, KC, BN, | |
| ST, W, H, RW, C | |||
| Hearing impairment | PD, FD | MF, PP, L, KC, BN, | |
| ST, W, H, RW, C | |||
| Indian Corporate Law Service | Locomotor disability | OA, OL, OAL, BL | ST, RW, SE, S,BN,H |
| Visual impairment | LV | ST, RW, SE, S, BN, H | |
| Hearing impairment | HH | ST, RW, SE, S, BN, H | |
| Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Gr. B (Section Officers’ Grade) | Locomotor disability | OA, OL, BL | S,ST,W,BN,MF,SE,RW,H, C |
| Visual impairment | LV, B | S,ST,W,BN,MF,RW,H,C | |
| Hearing impairment | HH | S,ST,W,BN,MF,SE,RW,C | |
| Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service, Gr. B | Locomotor disability | BA, OL, OA, BH, | S,ST,W,H,SE,RW,C |
| MW, BL, OAL, | |||
| BLA, BLOA | |||
| Visual impairment | LV, B | MF,PP,L,KC,BN, | |
| ST,W,H,RW,C | |||
| Hearing impairment | PD, FD | MF, PP, L, KC, BN, | |
| ST, W, H, RW, C | |||
| Pondicherry Civil Service, Gr. B | Locomotor disability | OA, OL, BL, OAL | S,ST,W,SE, |
| S, ST, W, SE, RW, HC | |||
| Visual impairment | LV | S, ST, W, SE, RW, HC | |
| Hearing impairment | HH | HC, W, S, ST, SE, RW |
Disability is not an obstacle for ambitious candidates in becoming a Civil Servant. Aspirants can inspire themselves with many examples of successful candidates like Ira Singhal who cleared the IAS exam in spite of disability. There are many such examples of physically handicapped IAS officers which aspirants can look up to.
To know more about UPSC preparation, check out:
I am a physically challenged(OH) person with 60% disability.
Can I become an IAS officer?
Yes. You can.
Any candidate having a disability of 40 percent or more is considered for PwD reservation in the IAS Exam. The physical requirement for the IAS Exam is given on this page.