Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has appointed Paralympian and Asian Para Games 2026 gold medallist Suvarna Raj as the capital’s State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, filling a post that remained vacant after an earlier selection exercise ended without an appointment.
The appointment was made from a panel of three candidates recommended by a search-cum-selection committee constituted under the Delhi Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2018, according to an official statement cited by Millennium Post. The selection process was restarted in July after an exercise initiated in 2024 concluded without selecting a candidate.
The Social Welfare Department received 18 applications for the position. An internal scrutiny committee found 15 applicants eligible for further consideration. The committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, met on August 20 and interacted with 13 eligible candidates, assessing their qualifications, professional experience, understanding of disability rights and welfare, administrative experience and suitability for the post.
After its deliberations, the committee unanimously recommended three names to the Lieutenant Governor. Sandhu finalised Raj’s appointment after examining the committee’s meeting minutes and the records of the candidates, the statement said.
Raj is a wheelchair user and has represented India at three Asian Para Games and several international competitions. She won gold in the women’s F54 discus throw at the Asian Para Games with a best effort of 15.66 metres at Nagoya, Japan, on Thursday, according to the report. She is ranked second in Asia in the F54 discus throw.
Her recent sporting record also includes a bronze in the women’s F54/55 discus throw at the Dubai World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026, held as the 17th Fazza International Para Athletics Championship. At the Canberra Track Meet in Australia in January, she won gold in discus throw and silver in shot put. She received the National Youth Award from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2015.
Beyond sport, Raj works as an accessibility specialist and disability-rights advocate. She has also served as the Election Commission of India’s brand ambassador for accessible elections, bringing experience from both accessibility practice and public institutions to the new role.
Under Section 79 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the state government appoints a State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. The commissioner is responsible for matters related to implementing the safeguards and rights provided to persons with disabilities under the law.
The Delhi rules provide for a full-time appointment of three years from the date the commissioner assumes office, or until the appointee turns 65, whichever is earlier, subject to applicable tenure provisions. Raj’s tenure will therefore formally begin when she assumes charge, after which the office will oversee the implementation of disability-related protections across the capital.
