Delhi High Court directs Indraprastha University to admit thalassemic student
The court's order came on a plea filed by the student who is suffering from thalassemia, a blood disorder that is recognised as a disability.
In Short
- Delhi HC says thalassemic student is entitled to an admission in the Indraprastha University.
- Thalassemia is recognised as a disability.
- University says it will admit student once it receives the court order.
The Delhi High Court has directed the Indraprastha University here to admit a student suffering from thalassaemia to its MBBS course under the disability category in any of its three colleges.
The court's order came on a plea filed by the student who is suffering from the blood disorder, which said thalassemia was one of the disabilities recognised under the statute and he cannot be denied admission under the persons with disabilities (PWD) category.
"The petitioner (student) is entitled to the relief he prayed for. He be granted admission in the MBBS course by respondent no 1 (IP University) in any of the three colleges," Justice Indermeet Kaur said in a recent order.
The three medical colleges under Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University are Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, North Delhi Municipal Corporation Medical College and Hindu Rao Hospital and Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital.
The order noted that the status of the youth was changed from general category to PWD on July 16, 2017. Moreover, the student had participated in the two rounds of counselling on July 24 and August 12 this year.
"The fact that he was under the bonafide impression that his case was being considered favourably after these rounds of counselling was his rightful expectation of the candidate that he was being considered in the PWD category," the order noted.
Talking to Mail Today, the university officials said that they are waiting to receive the order to grant admission to the student.
"We will admit the student in our medical college as soon as we receive the order," said Nitin Malik, registrar of Indraprastha University.
According to the new act, thalassaemia is an inherited blood disorder, falls under the category of benchmark disability.
The new Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 has also increased the reservation of persons with disability category from three to five per cent.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill - was passed by the parliament to replace the PwD Act, 1995.
The new law is in line with the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), to which India is a signatory. This will fulfill the obligations on the part of India in terms of UNCRD.