DU to reserve seats for acid attack survivors

2016 ACT Will reserve 2,500 seats for differently abled applicants

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

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.

“It is a very good move which will help acid attack survivors to come into mainstream and fight the stigma. We hope we get many candidates under this category,” Ashutosh Bhardwaj, officer on special duty admissions said.