UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC flags accessibility gaps in aviation infrastructure

Q1. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A person with a disability cannot move the Supreme Court under Article 32 solely to enforce the State's duty under Article 41 to provide public assistance in cases of disablement.
  2. Article 41 requires the State to make such provision only within the limits of its economic capacity and development.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q2. With reference to the constitutional provisions relevant to disability-rights legislation and litigation in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Parliament's power under Article 253 to make laws implementing an international convention operates notwithstanding the other provisions of the chapter on distribution of legislative powers.
  2. A law made under Article 253 to implement a convention must apply uniformly to the whole territory of India and cannot be confined to a part of it.
  3. The text of Article 21 does not mention dignity, so a claimed 'right to travel with dignity' rests on judicial interpretation of the right to life and personal liberty.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Reservation in education and employment under the Act is tied to benchmark disability (at least 40% of a specified disability), not available to every person with a disability.
  2. The Act's requirement of disabled-friendly access to public buildings and modes of transport extends only to persons certified with a benchmark disability.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. Both 1 and 2
  • D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q4. A petition complains of 'silent airports' where announcements reach passengers in only one sensory form with no alternative mode of communication. In this context, consider the following statements about the approach of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD): Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Convention treats such communication gaps as barriers that States must identify and eliminate, rather than as an inevitable consequence of a passenger's impairment.
  2. The Convention's accessibility obligations reach private entities that offer facilities and services open to the public, such as privately operated airports.
  3. The Convention's accessibility article covers the physical environment and transportation, but leaves information and communication technologies to national policy.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. Consider the following facts: (i) Government reports state that 35 international and 55 domestic airports have been provided with ramps, accessible toilets and Braille. (ii) A petition before the Supreme Court alleges broken equipment, digital exclusion and 'silent airports' with no alternative modes of communication. (iii) The DGCA has issued a Civil Aviation Requirement on carriage by air of persons with disability and persons with reduced mobility. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above?

  1. Airports not included in the reported list lack ramps and accessible toilets altogether.
  2. A reported count of installed accessibility features does not by itself establish that those features are usable in practice.
  3. Accessibility can fall short in communication and digital channels even where physical features have been provided.
  4. The gaps alleged in the petition arise from the absence of any aviation-specific regulation on passengers with disability.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3 only

Q6. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A petitioner alleging violation of fundamental rights must first approach a High Court under Article 226 before the Supreme Court can entertain a petition under Article 32.
  2. The right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of the rights conferred by Part III is itself guaranteed by the Constitution.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q7. With reference to Article 9 (Accessibility) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Its obligations are framed for public facilities in urban areas, leaving rural areas to be covered through progressive realisation of social rights.
  2. It requires States Parties to develop, promulgate and monitor minimum standards and guidelines for the accessibility of facilities and services open or provided to the public.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. Both 1 and 2
  • D. Neither 1 nor 2