New Delhi, Feb 19: The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Centre and the city government on a petition accusing them of failing to implement various welfare schemes for disabled children in educational institutions. Also issuing notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which runs over 1800 schools, a bench comprising Justice Devinder Gupta and Justice Bader Durez Ahmed directed all the respondents to submit their replies by April 29.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by NGO -- Social Jurist -- alleged that despite provisions laid down under the Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection Of Rigths And Full Participation) Act, 1995, for various welfare schemes to physically challenged children in the educational institutions, no concrete steps had been taken by the Centre, Delhi government and MCD in this regard.
The Act clearly laid down that government should provide transport facility to disabled, remove architectural barriers for them in schools, supply books, uniforms and other study material, grant them scholarships and set up appropriate fora for redressal of their grievances.
The other facilities listed in the act included suitable modification in the examination system for them to eliminate purely mathematical questions, especially for blinds and restructuring of the curriculum for students with hearing impairment.
Social jurist's counsel Ashok Agrawal said about 6,000 disabled children were studying in various schools in the capital and most of them at a stage dropped out and many were never admitted. Bureau Report