Delhi HC directs DU to provide writers to visually impaired students for online exams

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday has ordered Delhi University to provide writers for visually impaired students at common service centres (CSCs) for online Open Book Examinations for its final year UG courses. The high court also said the DU will ensure that no such student will be deprived of a scribe at the CSC, if the student has opted for one and the varsity has been already informed about the same in advance. The CSCs have been set up for those students who do not have the infrastructure to appear for the OBE.

Provide reading materials for students

A bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad while hearing the matter through video conference instructed the varsity to provide at least two reading materials or textbooks of each paper to the visually handicapped students. It also said to grant one week’s time to the students to make the request to the Delhi University. It further ordered the varsity to revert with the exact date of declaration of results of students who will take part in the online OBE and also the date of physical examinations, that will be conducted after OBE.

The court informed that senior advocate S K Rungta who is representing the National Federation of the Blind, agreed to provide assistive devices to the visually impaired students.

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Court to seek affidavit fro DU on provisional admission

The court further noted that DU will give provisional admission to students in its postgraduate courses, subject to them clearing the entrance exam. Agreeing to the suggestion of senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for petitioner Prateek Sharma, the court will seek an affidavit from DU on giving provisional admission to students in PG courses.

The court also asked the university to provide the details of students who have registered and logged in for the online examination. The University is scheduled to hold final year undergraduate online OBE from August 10-31 and the students who will be left out of online exams will be given an opportunity to appear in physical examinations, to be held in September.  Ensure that digital certificates/ results are sent to students through e-mail so that students need not go to the college, the court told the University.

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The high court was hearing pleas by Prateek Sharma, a law student and National Federation of the Blind. The plea sought to set up effective tools for visually impaired and specially-abled students so that educational instructions can be transmitted to them properly. The plea also suggested that teaching materials be provided to the students through online mode of teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on August 17.

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