The Academic Council of Kerala University on Friday decided to admit a candidate with 100% visual impairment to BSc Physics course.
While the undergraduate (UG) prospectus of the university has thus far permitted admissions for only visually impaired candidates with less than 40% disability to Science subjects, the current decision is likely to enable more differently-abled aspirants to pursue higher education.
The applicant, who had scored 100% marks in the higher secondary examination, was unable to submit her online application for admission. Subsequently, she petitioned the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities who then issued an order under provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The council factored in various impediments during the discussion, including the low availability of Physics texts in Braille and prominence of practical work in Science subjects. It was decided to extend assistance, including the provision of scribes for regular practical work and examination in laboratories. The number of experiments will also be reduced to one-third of the total that must be completed by a regular student.
It was also decided to relax the admission regulations for the MBA course offered by the university for a Mumbai-based serving Army officer. While the eligibility criteria for admission to the MBA programme mandated a minimum of 50% marks in the degree examination, the applicant had secured 46.5% in Bcom examination.
He had submitted that he was an active participant in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and also represented both the country and the State in various camps, including an international youth exchange programme. He also requested that his experience as an Army personnel be considered for offering admission to the MBA programme or the Disaster Management programme.
