Title: Need to amend the Disability Act, 1996 for providing 3% reservation to physically handicapped students seeking admission in Government and Government aided institutions – Laid.
(HASSAN) : Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is no clear guideline in the Disability Act, 1996. All these years many educational institutions in the country are reserving 3% seats for the physically handicapped students in both Government and Government aided institutions. Some colleges like Delhi College of Engineering (DCE), Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (NSIT), New Delhi, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi do not reserve seats for the Physically Handicapped Students.
The judgement of the Delhi High Court has come as rude shock to these students seeking admission in various educational institutions particularly in Engineering, Medical and other technical institutions. Though the Disability Act says 3% seats should be reserved for persons with disability, but the Delhi High Court says “seats” in section 39 of the Act does not categorically mean seats for students in institutions. It is for the jobs in Government bodies and not seats for the students.
The threat is that all educational institutions in the country who are providing reservations may also stop this reservation forthwith after seeing the Delhi High Court Judgement. I, therefore, urge upon the Centre to amend the above said Act.