News

Volume 4 Issue 5 - March 01, 2006

Delhi High Court issues notice to U.G.C. on lack of facilities for disabled students

D.N.I.S. News Network- University Grants Commission (U.G.C.) has been served a notice by the Delhi High Court, seeking facilities being provided to disabled students in various universities of the capital. 

Hearing petition filed by Disabled Rights Group (D.R.G.), on the issue of access for disabled people in Universities, the two judge bench of Justices Vijender Jain and Rekha Sharma issued the notice to U.G.C. when requested by petitioner’s Counsel Neeru Vaid.

Vaid drew attention of the Court to the fact that though the universities and the colleges in the national capital region have been filing affidavits, U.G.C. as the nodal body should also be asked to respond.

It must be pointed out here that D.R.G.’s Convenor Javed Abidi had filed the petition with specific reference to lack of facilities for disabled students in Delhi University. But taking stock of the seriousness of the matter, the Court in its interim order dated 10 August 2005, had also added Guru Govind Singh University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia University in the list of respondents.

An access audit of five colleges of Delhi University in 2003 – Miranda House, Hindu College, Venketeshwara College, Gargi College and Sriram College of Commerce - had revealed a very high degree of ignorance about the access needs of disabled students. Basic amenities, like toilets, canteens and libraries, etc. were found to be inaccessible.