The Delhi High Court has sought a comprehensive report on Delhi University's Law Centre and it's accessibility for persons with disabilities.
The court asked a lawyer, appointed to assist it in a case to ensure that the Campus Law Centre (CLC) in the Delhi University is accessible to persons with disabilities to file a report after visiting the campus, reported PTI.
Amicus curiae (friend of the court) Kamal Gupta suggested that he should be allowed to visit the campus so that a comprehensive affidavit could be filed indicating the further requirements to be complied with by the university.
"Learned amicus curiae shall intimate the learned counsel for respondent number one university regarding the proposed date of his visit to the Campus Law Centre," Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said in a recent order.
The Delhi University (DU) submitted that it has taken various steps to ensure that the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act are complied with.
It said it has always been sensitive and concerned towards the needs of persons with disabilities and enabling measures have been taken and an access audit was conducted in this regard, PTI said.
The university is adopting a proactive approach through its own resources and has taken a further initiative to get access audits conducted of the CLC, Faculty of Law, and other buildings within the campus, the affidavit filed by the DU said.
The DU had earlier said repairing work in toilets, corridors, open areas and a provision for tactile and other facilities for persons with disabilities at the CLC have been completed by the agency to the satisfaction of the competent authority of the university.
The court was hearing a plea moved by Jayant Singh Raghav, a visually impaired DU student, who raised the issue of providing assistive devices to differently-abled students during examinations.
The court had earlier appointed Gupta as amicus curiae in the matter and he had put forward several suggestions in his report regarding the physical infrastructure and accessibility of the CLC.
The report said according to the guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC), an access audit of the CLC be directed to be conducted and a report submitted to the court.
The matter would next be heard by the court on February 21, added PTI.
