SUJATA BORA versus COAL INDIA LIMITED & ORS.

SUJATA BORA versus COAL INDIA LIMITED & ORS.

The appellant was wrongly denied employment under the 2019 notification; AIIMS medical board found 57% disability (above benchmark 40%), rendering her eligible for appointment in the reserved quota; the Division Bench erred in setting aside the Single Judge's order on the ground of panel expiry; the Court directed creation of a supernumerary post and directed Coal India Limited to provide a suitable position and reasonable accommodations (desk job with separate computer and keyboard as per universal design) and to post the appellant at North Eastern Coalfields, Margherita, Tinsukia, Assam, exercising powers under Article 142 and having regard to Article 41 read with Articles 14 and 21.

Parties
Appellant: Sujata Bora; Respondent: Coal India Limited & Ors.
Jurisdiction
India
Judgment Date
13 January 2026
Procedural Posture
Civil Appeal / Appeal Disposed of by the Supreme Court (civil Appeal No. 120 of 2026)
Outcome
Appeal allowed; order of the Division Bench of the High Court set aside; appeal disposed of.
Legal Topics
Reasonable Accommodation, Multiple Disability, Benchmark Disability, Intersectionality of Disability and Gender, Corporate Social Responsibility (csr), Recruitment and Medical Examination, Universal Design
Constitutional Law Disability Law Employment Law Administrative Law Human Rights Reasonable Accommodation Multiple Disability Benchmark Disability +4 more

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Parties

Sujata Bora

Appellant

Coal India Limited & Ors.

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Civil Appeal / Appeal Disposed of by the Supreme Court (civil Appeal No. 120 of 2026)

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the appellant was wrongly denied employment despite qualifying for interview because she had multiple disabilities but applied under the Visually Handicapped category when the notification did not provide for multiple disability
  2. 2 Whether the employer (Coal India Limited) was obliged to provide reasonable accommodation and treat multiple disability within the reserved quota
  3. 3 Intersectionality of disability with gender justice and whether technicalities like expiry of panel can prevent complete justice

Ratio Decidendi

The appellant was wrongly denied employment under the 2019 notification; AIIMS medical board found 57% disability (above benchmark 40%), rendering her eligible for appointment in the reserved quota; the Division Bench erred in setting aside the Single Judge's order on the ground of panel expiry; the Court directed creation of a supernumerary post and directed Coal India Limited to provide a suitable position and reasonable accommodations (desk job with separate computer and keyboard as per universal design) and to post the appellant at North Eastern Coalfields, Margherita, Tinsukia, Assam, exercising powers under Article 142 and having regard to Article 41 read with Articles 14 and 21.

Court Disposition

Appeal allowed; order of the Division Bench of the High Court set aside; appeal disposed of.

Orders

  • Order of the Division Bench of the High Court in MAT 2325/2023 set aside
  • A supernumerary post to be created for the appellant and she is to be appointed as a Management Trainee subject to compliance with formalities