Delhi University clarifies rules regarding disabled certificate validity for admissions

College admission time is upon us and aspiring students are queuing up to apply to various colleges and universities. The Delhi University, one of the most respected universities in India, has clarified the rules regarding eligibility for disabled candidates.

A 5% admission quota is offered disabled students seeking to gain admission into the Delhi University (DU). Going through the admission process means submitting proper documents within the deadline and meeting the selection criteria.

For students with disabilities it is mandatory to submit their a disability certificate with the admission application. The DU is accepting disability certificates issued by government hospitals as per the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act 2016.

Lately, there has been some confusion amongst the students about valid disability certificates. NewzHook spoke to Bipin Kumar Tiwari, Officer on Special Duty at the Equal Opportunities Cell (EOC) for greater clarity regarding this.

Disability certificates that have been issued by any government hospital of government of India or state under provisions of RPWD Act is a valid document. Any candidate seeking admission or any applicant applying for admission has to have a disability certificate issued by a government hospital and even old certificates remain valid. There is no condition at DU about accepting certificates only from the 27 designated hospitals. – Bipin Kumar Tiwari, Officer on Special Duty, Equal Opportunities Cell, Delhi University

Tiwari also clarified that as per the provisions of RPWD Act, disability certificate issued by private hospitals are not acceptable.This will clear the confusion but delay admissions for some students who may not have certificates from government hospitals.

“Admission time is very stressful and not getting the accurate information can add to the pressure”, says Rakshit Malik who is a member of the Enabling Unit at St Stephen’s College.. He suggests that the process of issuing certificated me made faster. “Getting a disability certificate is a lengthy process and take a lot of time. It would be very beneficial for the students’ with disabilities if the process is more streamlined at the hospitals and the documents are made faster with the least amount of hassle and discomfort”.

With more disabled students coming forward to pursue higher studies, this is a valid demand, one that authorities must certainly look into.

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