News

Volume 2 Issue 17 - September 01, 2004

98.8% disabled students don't get higher education

DNIS News Network - The Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has called for a national seminar next month with top education bodies to deal with the issue of higher education for disabled students.

After discovering that only 1.2 per cent of students with disabilities had access to higher education, the Union HRD minister Mr Arjun Singh has called for a seminar to make efforts to improve the situation.

"The ones who are really disabled are those who cannot understand the disabled. A seminar in September would deliberate on the issue of improving access to higher education to the disabled," said Singh. UGC, NCERT, AICTE and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghathan, are all expected to be represented at the seminar.

The news that 98.8 per cent of young disabled people are currently being excluded from higher education in India, came to light last month, when Javed Abidi, Executive Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, revealed the results of a comprehensive education survey carried out by his organisation.

"This shows the dismal state of adherence to the 3 per cent reservation for disabled students, as mandated by the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995," he said. "Though special education is under Social Justice Ministry, it ideally should have been under the HRD ministry as it (HRD ministry) deals with the education of all others."