DU colleges to set up admission panels for disabled

The Delhi University (DU) has told its colleges to set up "special category admission enabling committees" for disable students and those belonging to the socially marginalised sections aspiring to join the new four-year undergraduate programme.

The colleges have been given time till June 27 to update the names of the members of these panels on their websites, a university official said.

Bipin Tiwari, officer of the university' Equal opportunity Cell (EOC), told IANS: "We have asked all the colleges to constitute a dedicated committee to promote the process of inclusion so that the students get a direct chance to interact with teachers and get familiarised with the colleges."

The panels will be tasked to facilitate admissions of the disabled and students from the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes.

Tiwari said till last year the students were issued a slip by the EOC and they had to go to colleges, pay their fees and complete the admission process.

"Now, each college is required to have a separate window, an easy internal college form and, more importantly, easy accessible forms in audio and print for students with disabilities," he said.

According to the university guidelines, all colleges are required to update the names of the committee members on their websites before the announcement of the first cut-off list June 27 but only four have complied so far.

Some staff members in these four colleges do not seem to be aware of their exact role on these special committees.

Punam Behari of the Miranda House admission enabling committee said: "I am already a part of the admission committee but there is not much clarity on the enabling committee."

The other colleges that have constituted the enabling committees are Daulat Ram College, Mata Sundri College for Women and Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC).

SRCC principal P.C. Jain said: "Since the admission process has been de-centralised and now the colleges have to undertake the process, the varsity has asked us to constitute the committee."

The university has introduced the four-year undergraduate programme starting this academic year, under which the students will be required to study 11 foundational courses in the first two years, clubbing together students who seek vocational education with those pursuing pure academic disciplines.