DU Exams: Delhi High Court asks Railway Ministry to help students with disabilities to travel to Delhi

Delhi High Court asks Railway Ministry to ensure PWD category students who are traveling to Delhi to appear for DU exams get confirmed tickets.

Delhi High Court has directed the Railway ministry to ensure that all the students with disabilities traveling to the National capital to appear for the Delhi University's exams get a confirmed ticket. The court said it needs to be ensured that the students belonging to the persons with disabilities (PWD) category do not miss the chance to appear in the second round of final year examinations, which will be held in physical mode from September 14.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said that in view of the limited number of trains running currently, efforts shall be made to provide confirmed tickets. The Court further said that the students can book tickets on the waiting list and inform the Railways two days in advance. It has also asked the varsity to file an affidavit mentioning the number of students who have registered for the second phase of exams. The University will also have to mention in the affidavit that when it will announce the results of both the phases. 

The Court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 22. Advocate Jagjit Singh, representing the ministry, said the Railways already gives the concession to several categories of PWDs including those with visual and speech impairment. He said the procedure to avail the concession is set out.

The court asked senior advocate S K Rungta, representing petitioner National Federation of Blind, to provide a list of PWD students who propose to travel to Delhi from far off places.

The high court was hearing pleas by law student Prateek Sharma and NFB seeking to set up effective mechanisms PWD students so that educational instructions can be transmitted to them properly and teaching material is provided to them through online mode of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The online OBE for undergraduate and postgraduate courses started on August 10 and ended on August 31. The varsity will begin the pen and paper mode exam from September 14.

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