A Maharashtra government doctor with 90 percent disability was denied promotion four times despite meeting all service and academic requirements. For over a decade, administrative delay and withheld certificates blocked his career growth. The case, now before the Bombay High Court, raises serious concerns about how disability laws are implemented in public employment and whether silent inaction is being used to deny lawful rights.
Government Doctor Denied Promotion 4 times Over Disability Raises Alarms in Maharashtra Health System
Despite exemplary service, a Maharashtra government microbiologist with 90 percent disability was denied promotion for a decade through administrative delay, withheld certifications, and selective medical findings, prompting High Court scrutiny over disability rights enforcement in public employment across the state.
A government doctor denied promotion despite benchmark disability has triggered a major legal and administrative debate in Maharashtra, spotlighting how delay and silence can quietly undermine statutory disability protections.
For over a decade, Dr Abhishek Goenka served Maharashtra’s public health system without adverse remarks, teaching medical students while managing a progressive neuromuscular disability certified by official medical boards.
His case, now before the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, examines whether administrative inaction can effectively deny promotion to a government doctor with disability, despite clear legal safeguards.
Merit Based Career Within Maharashtra Government Medical Colleges
Dr Goenka completed MBBS in 2009 and MD Microbiology in 2014 from government institutions, never using disability reservation, and consistently met academic and professional standards required by Maharashtra medical services.
Diagnosed with limb girdle muscular dystrophy, his condition was formally declared, assessed, and recorded during education and appointment, with medical boards repeatedly certifying him fit for teaching and laboratory responsibilities.
In January 2015, he joined Government Medical College Akola as Assistant Professor, cleared through mandatory medical examination, and continued full academic duties without restrictions imposed by the state authorities.
By October 2016, the Maharashtra government regularised his service permanently without probation, reinforcing institutional acceptance of his fitness, competence, and long term role within public medical education.
Between 2017 and 2019, multiple medical examinations were conducted, yet their findings were never communicated to him, while he continued teaching, evaluating students, and performing all assigned departmental functions.
Only through information obtained under the Right to Information Act did he learn that a 2017 medical board noted colour vision deficiency, information that remained unused until promotion consideration arose.
Throughout this period, he received all service benefits including increments and sanctioned leave, except one critical document known as the permanency benefit certificate, repeatedly requested but never issued.
Disability Law, Promotion Eligibility and Administrative Delay
By January 2019, Dr Goenka became eligible for promotion to Associate Professor, fulfilling experience, seniority, qualifications, and performance norms, and standing as the only benchmark disability candidate statewide.
Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, denying promotion solely due to disability is prohibited, and mandates reasonable accommodation or creation of supernumerary posts when necessary.
Despite this, his application for the mandatory certificate remained unprocessed, with no rejection, deficiency notice, or explanation, effectively freezing his career progression through bureaucratic silence.
In 2022, when 12 promotion vacancies arose, the state split posts across academic years in 2+6, sidestepping disability reservation obligations under a July 2021 government resolution which mentions a seat to be reserved for PWD when more than 7 seats are available.
Promotions proceeded in his absence, while similarly disabled candidates in other departments advanced, exposing inconsistent application of disability policy across Maharashtra’s public medical institutions.
The entire matter was placed before the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, yet no decision emerged despite multiple hearings, exceeding statutory grievance timelines.
Such delay, legal experts note, indirectly benefits the administration, reinforcing the principle that justice delayed becomes justice denied for employees with disabilities.
Also Read: Maharashtra Power Shift Brings Sunetra Pawar Into Focus.
Court Orders, Rejection and Wider Policy Implications
In 2024, nearly seven years after the original medical note, authorities formally cited colour vision deficiency(which was of 2017) to declare him unfit for promotion, while continuing to deem him fit for service.
He was neither demoted nor reassigned, continuing teaching duties, indicating implicit acknowledgment that reasonable accommodation was possible within his academic responsibilities.
A subsequent government order even permitted non colour dependent teaching tasks, yet promotion denial persisted, contradicting both accommodation principles and service continuity logic.
In December 2024, the High Court directed a decision within sixty days, an order ignored until fresh litigation compelled rejection in September 2025.
The state then questioned when the deficiency developed, contradicting its own earlier certifications and acting only after prolonged judicial pressure.
According to Sprouts News Special Investigation Team, the case reveals a troubling pattern where disability is acknowledged for service yet invoked selectively to block advancement.
Despite 90% disability Dr. Goenka personally met IAS TUKARAM MUNDE on wheelchair and made several written communications with his dept with no result.For hundreds of government employees with disabilities, this case will define whether statutory rights translate into enforceable realities or remain confined to files and unimplemented assurances.
Dr Goenka continues teaching today, contributing to public healthcare education, denied not by incapacity, but by an administrative system testing the limits of disability justice in public employment.
Sprouts News investigations have uncovered multiple controversies surrounding fraudster Dr Ajay Chandanwale, whose actions have drawn sustained scrutiny from medical, academic, and regulatory communities in Maharashtra.
According to a series of reports published by Sprouts News, fraudster Dr Ajay Chandanwale allegedly misrepresented academic qualifications while portraying himself as a specialist across advanced medical domains, without verifiable institutional records.
Investigations pointed to serious discrepancies between certificates submitted to authorities and official university data, raising concerns that falsified or exaggerated credentials were used to gain professional legitimacy and public influence.
Sprouts News also reported that fraudster Dr Ajay Chandanwale allegedly secured positions in government linked committees and advisory forums, despite questions surrounding his eligibility and documented qualifications.
Another key controversy involved questionable research claims, including publications and conference presentations reportedly lacking ethical approvals, institutional affiliations, or traceable datasets, violating accepted academic standards.
Investigative journalist Unmesh Gujarathi documented repeated complaints submitted to regulatory bodies, highlighting delayed or absent action that intensified concerns about regulatory failure.
Additional reports flagged financial irregularities in paid training programmes promoted by fraudster Dr Ajay Chandanwale, where participants allegedly received neither recognised certification nor institutional validation.
Collectively, these revelations exposed systemic loopholes enabling credential fraud, reinforcing Sprouts News’ role in holding powerful actors accountable through investigative journalism.
