Very few know of the disabled quota
By Pallavi Majumdar, Times News Network

New Delhi: Going to college means different things for different people. For Vibha and Tara, admission into Delhi University is an achievement in itself. The sisters, who are from an economically weak background, have come with hope even though they are visually impaired.

And their father, a farmer, shares their dream of becoming self-reliant, “Education is the only way,” said Kunj Behari Chauhan, a resident of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.

But why DU? “Because it has value in the market.” Vibha added.

Vibha has passed out of the Rashtriya Virjanand Kanya Senior Secondary School in Vikaspuri this year and secured 49 per cent in the Board exam. Tara passed out last year with 59 per cent and has been pursuing training in home science for the last year.

“I want to do my BA and then a B Ed so that I can become a teacher,” Tara said.

Ask them about reservations for the physically disadvantaged, and one draws a blank. Clearly, neither father nor daughters are aware that there is a three per cent reservation of seats in all institutes. It is because of this lack of awareness possibly that many students are not able to gain admission in universities.

In DU, for instance, 1,320 seats are reserved for the physically disadvantaged, considering there are roughly 44,000 seats on offer. But last year, only 250 such students gained admission.

Source: The Times of India
Dated 6th June, 2002