Campus Calling: DU to reserve seats for acid attack survivors, students with thalassemia

The university expanded the list to include physical disability, intellectual disability (a condition characterised by significant limitation both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behaviour), mental illness, disability caused due to chronic neurological conditions and blood disorders.

This year, Delhi University will reserve seats for undergraduate studies in its affiliating colleges for acid attacks survivors and students with thalassemia and dwarfism.

The law gives not less than 5% reservation to students with disabilities taking admissions in institutes of higher education.

The move comes after the university adopted the revised Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The law gives not less than 5% reservation to students with disabilities taking admissions in institutes of higher education.

This means DU will reserve at least 2,500 seats for differently abled applicants. The university expanded the list to include physical disability, intellectual disability (a condition characterised by significant limitation both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behaviour), mental illness, disability caused due to chronic neurological conditions and blood disorders.

“The move is aimed at encouraging more students with physical and mental challenges to pursue higher education. There are many more categories that will be covered now, including thalassemia and dwarfisim, which were not under the PwD (persons with disability) category earlier,” said the official.

Till last year, the university reserved 3% of its seats in all colleges and courses for PwD applicants. These seats are supernumerary, which means they are over and above the sanctioned strength of a college.

As per the new rule, acid attack survivors will be considered under the Physical Disability category. According to DU’s PwD guidelines, “acid attack victims” means a person disfigured due to violent assaults by throwing of acid or similar corrosive substance”.

This year, at least 260 applicants have registered till now under the disabled category. The university is yet to upload the guidelines on its website.

The university has increased the categories of physical disability that were considered under the quota. Earlier there were only three categories but now there are five categories of disability.

Physical Disability category

Physical Disability: leprosy cured person, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, acid attack victim, blindness, low vision, hearing impairment

Intellectual Disability: specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder

Mental Behaviour: described as a disorder of thinking, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs judgement, behaviour, capacity to recognise reality or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life, but does not include a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind of a person.

Disability caused due to multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, haemophilia, thalassemia, and sickle cell disease

Multiple Disabilities: A combination of above, and deaf-blindness.