NEET 2018: SC notice to Centre, Gujarat on student with low vision

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and the Gujarat government on a plea filed by a student suffering from low vision and who has cleared the NEET 2018 undergraduate examination, seeking direction to issue him a disability certificate as per the law so that he could take admission in the MBBS course.

Seeking response from the Centre and state government, a vacation bench of Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice Deepak Gupta said it would examine whether a person suffering from disability of low vision can be allowed to pursue a MBBS course, become a doctor and treat patients.

The bench was of the view that other professions like legal or teaching, it could be understood that even a blind person can successfully pursue the career and that in MBBS it would have to see how much it was feasible and possible.

In low vision, eyesight cannot be corrected or improved.

Appearing for minor student Purswami Ashutosh, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and advocate Govind Jee contended that there was already a provision for reservation of five per cent seats of total intake capacity in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.

The plea sought direction to the Centre and the Gujarat government for implementing the reservation scheme for persons with benchmark disability, as mandated by provisions of the Act and issuance of the certificate of disability.

The bench asked the student to be present before the committee of B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad within three days with the copy of the apex court's order.

It ordered that the student shall be medically examined and the appropriate medical certification regarding his claim that he suffers from low vision shall be transmitted to the registry of the apex court within four days therefrom.

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on July 3.

The student has said that on May 30, he had visited Vardhman Mahavir Medical College in Delhi for disability certificate as notified by the central government, but they refused to assess his disability.

On June 6, his father had met the doctors concerned of the committee at the B.J. Medical College at Ahmedabad for issuance of disability certificate, but they had received no response from the state government, contended the student.

The plea claimed that the student had appeared for NEET UG examination 2018 under the physically handicapped category and has scored an all India rank of 4,68,982 and 419th rank in the Physically Handicapped category.

He has a fair chance of getting a seat in medical/dental colleges in All India Quota/state government medical colleges under the special category, claimed the plea.

--IANS

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