Disabled aspirants face certificate hurdle in DU

 Despite changes in norms meant to encourage physically handicapped students to apply in Delhi University, admission-seekers complain there is actually less flexibility now on disability certificates.

Last year, the university had put up a medical camp where doctors from Hindu Rao Hospital gave  disability certificates to students whose certificates had expired, or were obtained from doctors or hospitals other than those listed on the DU website.

“A special three-day medical camp last year helped a lot of students who were unaware of DU's listed hospitals. Students come from remote places so DU officials should have made some arrangement for cases where the certificates are not up to university standards,” said a volunteer at the DU help desk for  physically handicapped.

Volunteers also criticised the scrapping this year of the medical board which screened aspirants applying under the disability quota.

“Students who got their disability certificate from the medical camp last year also had to go through the medical board’s filtering process. This has been scrapped now, and there have been instances where students with only a slight disability are getting accepted,” said another volunteer.

Eligibility criteria

The eligibility criteria for physically handicapped category is 40 per cent or higher disability, as certified by a government hospital listed by DU.

“I know of a case where the student could write, read well, but his certificate stated his visual disability is over 40 per cent,” said the volunteer, giving the case of student who he said didn't qualify for the quota.

Outstation students who have an expired document or one from a private hospital are not allowed to get another certificate from a  government hospital in the city. But certificates from outstation  government doctors are usually accepted – with an undertaking.

“We tell such students to sign an undertaking and get the disability certificate from their hometown. They are supposed to submit it by June 18,” said an official.

Such students however fear they would not be able to get back to DU on time, and their admission could get cancelled.