DU waives off tuition, hostel fee for disabled students

The Delhi University has waived off the tuition and hostel fee for students with disabilities. A circular, issued by Deputy Registrar (Academic) Ram Dutt, says that the fee paid by such students for the current academic year should be refunded "at the earliest".

The circular has been sent to heads of all departments, faculty members and colleges.

It says, "(Students with physical disabilities) shall be exempted from payment of fees, including examination fee and other university fees, except admission fee, subscription towards Delhi University Students' Union and identity card fee."

In another letter to the authorities, Dutt says, "Payment of all fees and charges (except refundable caution fees) and the mess fees" will be exempted for students with physical disabilities living in university hostels.

The circular says the university will pay half of the mess fees for the students.

Colleges have also been told to keep two seats, out of every 100 seats in hostels, for disabled students. This is in addition to the 3-per cent reservation of seats for students with disabilities in hostels, University Registrar Alka Sharma says in an handout.

Plans to procure specially designed tablets or net-books for students with disabilities are also in place. A notice by the Equal Opportunity Cell, inviting expression of interest, says it needs around 1,500 "tablet/netbooks with appropriate softwares, applications, assistive device and gadgets to suit the requirements of students" with disabilities.

The university is also in talks with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to provide Metro travel cards for disabled students. "We are trying to ensure that these Metro cards have central recharging facility, and no other individual can use it," said Bipin Tiwari, Deputy Dean for Students' Welfare and Officer on Special Duty at Equal Opportunity Cell.

Around 500 students were admitted to the undergraduate courses under the persons with disability quota this year.

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