Stay on JNU PhD seats under quota for disabled

New Delhi, April 18: The Delhi high court on Wednesday stayed the admission for PhD and MPhil courses in the five per cent unfilled seats for students with disability in the Jawaharlal Nehru ( JNU) University ( JNU).

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar said, “The JNU shall stand prohibited from effecting admission to the five per cent unfilled seats for students with disability for PhD and MPhil courses.”

The bench, which was informed that the academic session will commence in the latter part of July, listed the matter for hearing on May 21 by when the interim stay shall continue.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by National Federation of the Blind challenging the admission policy of JNU for the academic session 2018- 19 saying it stipulates 100 per cent weightage to the viva voce examination which is unfair.

The court also sought response of the Centre and the JNU on the petition. The petitioner also challenged the decision of the university not to grant any weightage to the written examination and alleged it had failed to grant any relaxation to persons with disabilities in the entrance examination despite statutory prescription.

It said that as per the brochure, five per cent of the total seats for the M. Phil/ Phd courses have to be kept reserved for persons with disabilities. Senior advocate S. K. Rungta said these decisions by the varsity are unconstitutional, contrary to statutory provision. He said if the varsity is permitted to effectuate admission based on such a policy, it would be a loss to the disabled.