New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all universities and higher education institutions to fully implement the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.
The aim of this move is to make campuses more inclusive, accessible, and supportive for students and staff with disabilities, according to a report by University World News.
The UGC has instructed institutions to strictly adhere to Section 32 of the RPwD Act, which mandates reservation in higher education for persons with benchmark disabilities.
Universities are now required to submit data covering the past five years through the UGC University Activity Monitoring Portal (UAMP). Universities must implement this reservation across all courses and submit annual compliance reports to the UGC.
This information must include the number of students with disabilities admitted under the mandatory 5% horizontal reservation, details regarding scholarships and fellowships provided to such students and the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff under the disability quota.
Despite the legal provision, enrolment of students with disabilities in higher education remains low, and dropout rates are high.
The UGC has also asked institutions to adopt guidelines for “barrier-free infrastructure” and to formulate a time-bound “accessibility plan” to make campuses more accessible.