On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court sought the response of Centre on a plea, seeking alternative mechanism for students with visual or auditory impairment to help them cope with online classes being conducted by educational institutions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad issued notices to the ministries of human resource development and social justice and empowerment and asked them to file counter affidavit while posting the matter for June 2.
Appearing for the Centre, standing counsel, Ripu Daman Bhardwaj, accepted the notice on the plea by two law students- Prateek Sharma and Diksha Singh, had moved to the court stating that no efforts have been made by the authorities to consider the needs of visually and auditory impaired students.
It sought direction to the Centre to provide adequate steps and undertake measures to facilitate online learning and examinations, including mid-semester evaluation as per the UGC guidelines.
The petition claimed that the government has completely abdicated the responsibilities owed to specially abled students under Right to Education Act and Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
“The government has promoted and supported the use of e-learning but it has not yet provided any content or material that can be accessed by students with visual/ auditory impairment, therefore specially-abled students have been left to fend for themselves,” the plea read.
The plea sought direction to the Centre to “direct that educational material be made available in such format that can be accessed and re-accessed by specially abled students and further that all educational institutions be directed to upload or make or make available educational instructions which is uploaded on the internet or website or any other such instrument to carry same educational instructions in sign language readily available and free of cost”.
Pic Courtsey: www.theiab.org
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