Probe marked against Kullu college principal

SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh disability commissioner has ordered an inquiry against the principal of a government college in Kullu, Roshan Lal, over alleged discrimination with visually impaired students during their exams, which was against the guidelines issued by the social justice and empowerment department.

The principal secretary, education, has been directed to submit the probe report within 15 days.

Ajai Srivastava, expert member of the state advisory board on disability and chairperson of Umang Foundation, had made a complaint against the principal about a week ago.

In his complaint, Srivastava had alleged that the principal in question was violating the guidelines for conducting the examinations for persons with disabilities issued by the government of India, the state government, the UGC and Himachal Pradesh University time and again.

Srivastava, who is also the nodal officer for disability affairs at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla to which the college is affiliated, alleged that some visually impaired students in BA final year of the Kullu college had approach him with their grievances.

It was alleged that the principal acted against the guidelines by not preparing a pool of scribes to write the examinations for the visually impaired candidates.

As per the rules, if the college fails to provide the scribe, the candidates can engage the writer of their choice, irrespective of his/her qualifications.

However, the principal forced the students to bring writer one class junior to them. The principal is also accused of not allowing the students to change the scribe in exam for different subjects.

Srivastava said rules were clearly mentioned in the new disability policy of HPU implemented recently that qualification of scribe will not be considered while writing exam for physically disabled students and that the candidate can also change the scribe for different subjects.