No luck for disabled students in DU campus placements

Private companies participating in the Delhi University-organised recruitment drives are not keen on hiring physically disabled students, varsity officials said on Monday.

Around 50 companies participate in the DU placement drive every year.  According to university sources, students with disabilities have failed to get any job offer this year.
The officials claim that this has discouraged them from participating in the recruitment drive.

“Students fill their forms, but when they are not selected they see no point in applying,” a university official said.

Apparently, physically disabled students usually find jobs with either NGOs or call centre companies.

But an array of companies ranging from information technology, education, management consultancies to private airlines participate in the recruitment drives organised by the DU through the year.

Anil K Aneja, officer on special duty, equal opportunity cell (EOC), said the differently-abled students are more inclined towards government jobs. Giving a level playing field to disabled students, the Persons With Disabilities Act provides for three per cent quota in all central and state government jobs.

“They (disabled students) show more interest in government jobs and a chunk of them, the brighter lot, go for higher studies,” Aneja said.

“The companies coming for these placement drives look for students who graduate in Commerce or other challenging disciplines, which are not generally opted by students with disabilities,” he said, adding that the companies need to be “sensitised towards disability related issues”.

Aneja said the EOC keep students informed about latest job opportunities in the government sector.

According to the dean of the students’ welfare office, companies such as Wipro and British Telecom are participating in the recruitment drive, starting Tuesday.
The annual pay package offered by them range from anything between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.