SSC Restores ‘Own Scribe’ Facility for PwBD Candidates; New Age and Aadhaar Rules Apply

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has reinstated the ‘Own Scribe’ facility for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates for all examinations notified on or before December 31, 2025. This decision follows a clarification issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) on September 10, 2025.

Earlier, the Commission had withdrawn the facility through a notice dated September 3, 2025, in compliance with DEPwD guidelines released on August 1, 2025, which directed that scribes should only be arranged by the examination authorities. However, the latest clarification allows all public examinations notified before December 31, 2025, to continue under the earlier system, effectively resuming the ‘Own Scribe’ option for eligible candidates.

In an official notice, SSC stated, “In compliance with the aforesaid DEPwD clarification dated 10.09.2025, the Commission has decided to resume the facility of 'OWN SCRIBE' for eligible PwBD candidates. This decision holds in abeyance the provisions of Para 3 of the SSC Notice dated 03.09.2025 for all examinations notified on or before 31.12.2025.”

New Compliance Rules for ‘Own Scribe’ Facility

The restored facility comes with revised compliance conditions to ensure fairness and procedural integrity. The scribe’s age must correspond to the qualification level of the exam -

For Matric level exams, the scribe should not be above 20 years of age.

For Class 12 level exams, the age limit is also 20 years.

For Graduate level exams, the scribe must not exceed 22 years of age.

Additionally, Aadhaar-based authentication has been made mandatory for all scribes under the ‘Own Scribe’ option. If Aadhaar verification fails at the exam venue, the candidate will have to either use a scribe provided by the Commission or appear without one.

The Commission also clarified that all other existing rules and procedures related to scribes will continue as per the SSC’s Scribe Procedure Notice dated October 25, 2024, which aligns with the DEPwD guidelines issued in 2018 and 2022.

Read the official notice here.