News

Volume 1 Issue 1 - December 25, 2011

Disabled students to get 3 per cent reservation in medical schools

DNIS News Network - Three per cent quota will be made available to disabled students pursuing medicine in Delhi University.

It has come as a directive from Delhi High Court to Delhi University to reserve minimum three percent seats for disabled students seeking admission to any medical college or institute, said an August 13, 2003 report in The Pioneer newspaper.

According to the report, Justice Vikramjit Sen, in his order on August 12, 2003, told Delhi University authorities to uphold the provision, as stated in “The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995”, with regard to reservation of seats for medical courses.

He mentioned Section 39 of the Act that states: “All government education institutions and other educational institutions, receiving aid from the government, shall reserve not less than three percent of the seats for persons with disabilities.”

It is believed that the court was hearing petitions filed by three physically disabled students against Delhi University’s decision to extend reservation only to one percent.

Justice Sen, in his order, said that Delhi University’s current policy is a palpable violation of the statutory imperative in the Act, the newspaper reported. The court is believed to have issued clear directions for distribution of reservation among various categories of disability.

As per the present guidelines, Medical Council of India (MCI) maintains that out of three categories of disability, people with visual and hearing impairment “cannot effectively assimilate or imbibe medical teaching.”

Refuting the contentions of MCI, the court said that Section 39 does not envisage any internal bifurcation. It simply provides not less than three percent reservation, irrespective of the nature of disability, the report said.