Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, all educational institutes have remained closed across the country. While students are finding it tough to cope with the situation, the problems for the differently-abled students may have compounded but have not dampened their spirit to excel and learn.
However, in view of the pandemic, Delhi University (DU) has taken a crucial decision to provide some relief to the differently-abled students so that they can continue their studies and can appear for the varsity examinations.
DU has nearly 2,000 students, 300 teachers, and 200 differently-abled staff. Many colleges still do not have tactile flooring, ramp, lift, braille signs, braille printers, etc. for the differently-abled. However, in nearly a dozen DU colleges, these facilities are being made available to such students.
These include Hansraj College, Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Mata Sundri College for Women, Miranda House, Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Science, Lakshmibai College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, IP College, Lady Shri Ram College, Rajdhani College, and Satyawati College.
Despite the fact that the university is not functioning on a regular basis due to Covid, the morale of the differently-abled students has not diminished. DU Dean of Examination, D.S. Rawat told IANS that 734 differently-abled students appeared in the Open Book Examinations (OBE) this year.
According to the Dean Examination, visually impaired students were given the choice to have their own writer for writing the examination. More alternative options were made available to all differently-abled students as compared to the general students. While the general students have to upload their answer sheets on the university portal, the differently-abled students were given the option to upload their answer sheets or send them by email. In addition, extra time was also given to such students.
However, the positive news is that most of the students with disabilities uploaded their answer sheets on the DU portal just like general students. Nearly 3,000 answer sheets were submitted by the differently-abled students despite having alternative options and only 200 answer sheets were sent by email and most of them were able to upload.
According to DU, the performance of differently-abled students in the OBE examinations has been excellent and almost all students passed the examinations.
On the occasion of completion of one year of the New Education Policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that this is another task that is close to his heart and has been achieved and will go a long way in empowering the students with disabilities.
Today there are more than three lakh children in the country who require sign language for getting an education. Understanding this need, Indian Sign Language has been given the status of a subject. Now students will be able to read it as a language also. This will give a boost to Indian Sign Language.
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