On Tuesday, the High Court of Delhi issued fresh notices to the University Grants Commission (UGC) & the Delhi University (DU) on a petition, seeking an adequate & effective mechanism for the education of visually impaired and specially-abled individuals amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
A division bench of Justice Hima Kohli & Justice Subramonium Prasad, while hearing the petition, issued notices & asked the UGC and the DU to file their reply within two weeks.
The Court had earlier issued notice to the Ministry of Human Resource Development & Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, asking them to file a counter affidavit within five days stating measures they are proposing to take.
The Bench said, "In view of the fact that the University of Delhi & the University Grants Commission have been permitted to be impeded only today, orders on this writ petition & the applications are deferred," said the bench.
The court, while differing the matter to June 24, said that fresh affidavits shall be filed by the respondents within two weeks with copies to the counsel for the petitioners, who may file rejoinders thereto, within 1 week thereafter.
The Court in its order said that "We may note that the reply affidavits filed by the HRD Ministry & the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment do not deal with the issue raised in the present petition, in any manner. The said respondents are directed to file fresh affidavits focusing only on the issue raised in the present petition & not on the previous decisions taken by the Ministry in general for dealing with the educational requirements of university students who are differently-abled".
The petition, moved by 2 law students Prateek Sharma & Diksha Singh, said that due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the universities, schools & colleges & other educational institutions are engaged in online teachings; however, no efforts have been made by the Govt to consider the need of the visually impaired and specially-abled individuals.
The petitioner-in-person also sought an interim relief that the mid-term evaluation as the UGC guidelines must be stayed till such guidelines & mechanism are set-up & put in place.
The petition sought directions to provide adequate steps & undertake measures to facilitate online learning & online examinations & examinations being conducted including mid-semester evaluation and/or continuous evaluation as per the UGC guidelines.
This comes as educational institutes have been directed to remain closed amid the pandemic.
The normal mode of education was done away with & that online learning was adopted & no considerations were made for visually impaired and specially-abled individuals (auditory impairment) & their educational needs, the plea said.
Due to this non-consideration, students at all levels who are visually impaired and/or specially-abled find themselves in worsening educational conditions & effectively have been left to fend for themselves during this period of hardship, it added.
It said that the burden of learning is not on the visually impaired and specially-abled individuals, rather it is the duty of the State to ensure & provide for effective teachings method. However, the same is not being done due to the lack of any such policy or effective mechanism, the plea said.
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