SC directs IIT Bombay to award degrees to learning disabled student

A bench of justices Uday Umesh Lalit, Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia asked IIT-B to take appropriate action including handing over the degree and all other testimonials to the appellant, Naman Verma within four weeks.

SC directs IIT Bombay to award degrees to learning disabled student

In a major relief to a student suffering from learning disabilities, the Supreme Court has now directed the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay that he has successfully completed his Master in Design programme and should be awarded his degree. A bench of justices Uday Umesh Lalit, Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia asked IIT-B to take appropriate action including handing over of the degree and all other testimonials to the appellant, Naman Verma within four weeks.

"We, therefore, exercise our power under Article 142 of the Constitution of India and declare that the appellant has successfully completed the course of Master in Design and that the qualification shall hold good for all practical purposes hereafter," the Court said in its May 11's order.

The Apex Court was hearing Verma's plea challenging the judgment and order dated April 17, 2018, passed by the High Court of Judicature at Bombay.

Verma had claimed that he is suffering from 'learning disabilities' known as Dyscalculia. He had moved a petition before the Bombay High Court requesting it to issue appropriate directions under Article 226 of the Constitution directing the respondent to take the petitioner into the course of Master Design in 2013 batch.

Under interim orders passed by the High Court, his candidature was directed to be considered and Mr Verma was admitted to the course of Master in Design. With the passage of time, Mr Verma completed the course successfully, as reported by NDTV. 

However, when the petition was taken up for final disposal, after considering various issues, the entitlement of the appellant under the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 was not accepted by the High Court. The Bombay High Court was then confronted with the issue as to what would be the fate and what directions can be passed when the appellant had completed the course under the interim directions.

The Supreme Court observed that the 1995 Act now stands replaced by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. "Though we affirm the view taken by the High Court on the issues of law which came up for determination by the High Court, considering the fact that the appellant has completed the course, we are not persuaded to cancel his candidature so as to put his qualification in jeopardy, " the Apex court said.

Read More:

• IIM Calcutta reports 28 COVID-19 cases, 58 put under isolation

• TNAU, ITC inks MoU on optimising use of water for crops