DU insists on disability certificates from govt hospitals amid pandemic

New Delhi: Replying to queries from students with disabilities on whether Persons with Disability (PwD) certificates from private hospitals will be accepted for admission to the varsity, the Delhi University stood its ground saying that only disability certificates issued by government hospitals would be accepted for admission, during a webinar on Friday.

This year, the university is conducting webinars instead of open houses to address the difficulties faced by candidates during applying online for admission to its various courses. For students with disabilities, it is mandatory to submit their disability certificate with the admission application.

However, given the pandemic, many students have complained that as OPDs in major government hospitals are shut, it would be difficult to get certificates from them. When students asked if they could submit a certificate from private hospitals, the university said that certificates from private hospitals will not be accepted and in case any student does not have a new certificate, they can submit an older one to complete the registration process.

The DU is accepting disability certificates issued by government hospitals as per the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act 2016. As per the provisions of the RPWD Act, disability certificates issued by private hospitals are not acceptable.

The refusal to accommodate certificates from private hospitals comes at a time when the whole country is fighting a pandemic, and hospitals are filled with patients suffering from the virus.

Speaking to Millennium Post Abha Dev Habib Treasurer at Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) called it a bureaucratic approach. "Yes, rules are important but the government and institutions should redefine them for these difficult times. Who wants to be near hospitals today or travel to get a certificate? This means the system is creating more hurdles for these sections," she added.