
Uttar Pradesh launches statewide drive to identify, certify Divyangjans with learning disabilities
This initiative is especially for those Divyangjans who are affected by specific learning disabilities like dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and dyspraxia. The State Commissioner stated that the intellectual capacity of these individuals is normal or above normal, and they have been making continuous contributions to society. However, until now, no dedicated statewide campaign had been launched to secure the rights of these Divyangjans.
Jha stated that specific learning disabilities have been officially recognised under the 'Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD Act)' implemented in 2016. However, at the ground level, the benefits related to certification, identification, and access to schemes have remained limited. To address this gap, a statewide campaign has now been launched to ensure a streamlined process from identification to the distribution of disability certificates.
The state commissioner has sent a letter dated June 3, 2025, to the director general of health and medical services, Uttar Pradesh, and all district magistrates, urging them to review pending disability certificate cases and expedite the process. In the letter, referring to the notification issued on March 12, 2024, he also recommended including private doctors in the certification panels to address the shortage of specialist doctors in districts, and suggested seeking assistance from specialist doctors at medical colleges.
Additionally, he has recommended the reorganisation of medical boards, the appointment of experts based on specific disabilities, and an increase in the number of designated certificate issuance days to ensure the timely resolution of all pending cases.
The impact of this campaign has already started showing results in various districts of the state. Specialist doctors are now actively participating in block-level camps organised jointly by the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities and the basic education department, he said, adding, this campaign will serve as a vital step toward achieving the goals of the National Education Policy and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Print
4 days ago
- The Print
Legal battle behind her, 8-yr-old with autism can now return to school. HC upheld her ‘right to belong'
In a landmark judgment, the Delhi High Court Tuesday directed GD Goenka Public School in New Delhi's Model Town to re-admit the child into an age-appropriate class, reinforcing the legal mandate of inclusive education under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. 'Expelling any child from school can be traumatic, and I was in a situation of uncertainty,' her mother told ThePrint Thursday, adding that the child did not get the attention she needed at school. After two years of legal proceedings and emotional turmoil, this week the child won the right to return to her former school where her sibling is also a student. New Delhi: For more than two long years, the eight-year-old diagnosed with autism remained out of school, confused and isolated as her developmental progress stalled. Her parents first took her out of school temporarily, and later the school refused to take her back. 'Winning the case has brought a big sense of relief. However, there's still apprehension in my mind about whether the school will genuinely treat my child equally and provide the support she deserves,' the mother said. Diagnosed with mild autism in infancy, the child was admitted to the school during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021 under the 'sibling category' and studied online just like other children of her age for the next few months, according to her mother. 'Her milestones had been late. She started walking when she was 17 months old and she began sitting when she was nine months old. The doctors had then only told us that she was at the risk of autism,' the mother said. Problems began when the lockdown came to an end and offline classes were resumed in schools. According to the parents' petition in court, shared with ThePrint, the child began exhibiting behaviours associated with her condition, running around, screaming, and being unable to sit still, behaviours the school did not accommodate or address supportively. Despite repeated requests from her mother to allow a shadow teacher or provide a special educator, the school declined, says the petition. The mother emphasised that autistic children are not 'mentally retarded' but have a 'different way of thinking'. With the right support, she said, autistic children can accomplish things and grow into exceptional leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, and more. 'Giving them a nurturing environment is not a privilege, it's their right. Look at the lives of people like Einstein, Mozart, Greta Thunberg, or even Ramanujan, many of them displayed traits of neurodivergence,' she told ThePrint. Speaking to ThePrint, Kamal Gupta, the advocate representing GD Goenka Public School in court, termed the institute as 'inclusive' and said all such schools have limitations. 'The child in question had 86 percent progressive autism, which is certified by AIIMS as a multiple disability disorder,' he said. Gupta added that the school is currently catering to the maximum number of children from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and disability categories and does not have any more seats to accommodate more children. 'The provisions of the Persons with Disabilities Act have been interpreted by a division bench… (and) the right to be educated in a school of choice has to be interpreted meaningfully, depending upon the number of seats available (demand & supply),' he said, adding that it was in the 'best interest' of the child to study in a special school. ThePrint reached GD Goenka Public School too with queries through email but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. Also Read: Dress code for dropping kids at Delhi school: no nightwear, no chappals. Parents call it 'unreasonable' 'Embrace inclusivity' According to the mother, her child was being neglected at school. 'So, we decided to take her out of school temporarily without formally withdrawing her admission,' she said. 'The school had advised us to focus on therapy to help improve her condition. But when we returned after a year-long break to resume her studies at school, they refused to take her back.' Instead, the administration allegedly pushed the family to withdraw the girl from school, claiming she was better suited for a school for children with special needs. In October 2022, the school authorities, according to the petition, suggested that the child attend classes for only two hours a day or just two days a week. In December 2022, the mother said, she wrote to the school complaining about an injury to the child. A meeting was subsequently scheduled between the school principal and the mother, during which she was shown letters of complaints from other parents but wasn't allowed to examine them closely, the petition states. This was followed by an ultimatum given to the parents by the school, asking them to withdraw the child, said the mother. Adding, 'From January 2023, she didn't go to school.' Faced with continuous denials from the school, the family moved the Delhi High Court, challenging what they described as 'illegal, arbitrary, and discriminatory' action by the school. During the 2024-25 session, the child was allotted a seat at the school under the children with special needs category but later denied admission again, her mother said. After this, the parents approached the court seeking enforcement of their child's right to education. 'Parents should never give up fighting for their child's rights. The journey is hard, especially for children with special needs, but justice can prevail. Schools should work with parents, not against them, and truly embrace inclusivity, not just on paper but in practice,' the mother told ThePrint. 'It is about belongingness' Justice Vikas Mahajan, delivering the verdict this week, underscored the constitutional and statutory guarantee of inclusive education. 'It needs no emphasis that 'inclusive education' is not merely about access to education; it is about belongingness,' the court stated. 'Every child has a place in the classroom not because they are the same, but because they are different, and that difference enriches the learning environment for all.' In a significant move, the court directed the Directorate of Education to constitute a board to assess what would be in the child's best interest. The committee's report concluded that the child should continue in the same school with age-appropriate class placement and the support of a shadow teacher. 'The school must ensure that the child avails all the accommodations/adaptations a child with special needs is entitled for,' the committee advised. Accepting the findings, the Delhi High Court has directed GD Goenka to re-admit the child with immediate effect. It also mandated that the Directorate of Education monitor the implementation of suggestions and ensure she is not harassed again. 'It is her constitutional right to study in an inclusive school system. And they (GD Goenka) have done wrong by denying it. And that's why we got directions to re-admit her,' her counsel Ashok Agarwal told ThePrint, adding that the school can put her in any appropriate class and the parents are willing to provide a shadow teacher. 'The court has recognised that she has the right to study in a mainstream school, and that denying her that right amounts to discrimination.' (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: Infra & safety gaps to poor digital learning record, what Centre's index says about Bengal schools


News18
5 days ago
- News18
NEET UG 2025: MCC Announces New Rules To Obtain PwBD Certificate, Check Details
PwBD candidates have been directed to obtain a new disability certificate from one of the 16 MCC-approved centres to qualify for MBBS admission under the reserved category quota. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has issued new guidelines for NEET UG 2025 candidates applying under the PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) category for MBBS admissions. As per the latest announcement, all PwBD candidates must obtain a fresh disability certificate from one of the 16 MCC-approved centres to be eligible for MBBS admission under the reserved category. This update is in response to a Supreme Court decision and revised guidelines from the National Medical Commission (NMC) to ensure precise disability assessments. Candidates must also bring a valid UDID card and other required documents when visiting the disability centres. These new rules are designed to make the admission process more transparent and inclusive for PwBD candidates. MCC's guidelines follow the Supreme Court's directive in the Om Rathod vs Union of India case. Consequently, the NMC has updated its disability evaluation framework, implementing a function-based approach as stated in the 2016 disability rights law and a March 2024 notification by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Eligibility Criteria To apply under the PwBD quota, candidates must meet the following criteria: – Qualify NEET UG 2025 – Possess a valid UDID card (Yellow or above) issued by DEPwD – Submit a self-certified affidavit specific to their disability type (Appendix A to F) – Undergo medical assessment at one of the 16 designated MCC disability centres Candidates must be certified by these centres to be eligible for PwBD quota seats in the All India Quota (AIQ) during counselling sessions. PwBD candidates need to carry the following documents to the disability certification centre: – NEET UG 2025 result – UDID card (Yellow category or higher; excludes visual disability) – Self-certification form (Appendix A) – Affidavit corresponding to the disability category (Appendix B to F) These documents will be checked by a medical board assessing the candidate's functional abilities, such as communication, hand function, or walking ability, depending on the type of disability. The new framework focuses on functional competence rather than just the disability percentage. Specific forms assess hearing, locomotor (upper and lower limbs), mental health, visual impairment, and other conditions. Candidates must demonstrate abilities such as writing, independent mobility, or understanding medical terminology, as applicable. Candidates with visual impairment should bring their own low vision aids (LVAs) for hands-on evaluation. Those with conditions like thalassemia, hemophilia, autism, or mental illness must submit the general self-certification (Appendix A) along with affidavits specific to their diagnosis. The disability certificate will be valid only for the 2025–26 academic session. For State Quota seats (85%), candidates can obtain certificates from State Disability Boards, but the assessment will follow the same NMC guidelines. First Published: July 23, 2025, 11:57 IST News education-career NEET UG 2025: MCC Announces New Rules To Obtain PwBD Certificate, Check Details Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
‘Frame policy for docus for disability certs'
Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the state to come up with a policy on documents required for persons seeking disability certificates. A division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das issued the directive after counsel for the petitioners, Kaushik Gupta, highlighted the disparate documents sought from people applying for Unique Disability Identity Cards under UDID. "R G Kar insists on a permanent residence certificate from the councillor though NRS does not," Gupta said. The division bench held Aadhaar and voter ID cards, passport, passbook and parents' driving licence could be relied on as residence proof. The CJ directed the authorities to frame a uniform policy for all hospitals in the state. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The counsel said at NRS Hospital, persons with disabilities had to go to the basement for scrutiny. "There is no ramp to the basement, forcing them to use the stairs," Gupta said. The CJ said ramps were mandatory at hospitals, and the state PWD should act immediately. HC welcomed the state move to give patients with muscular dystrophy, and rare diseases, with free supportive drugs for two months. State counsel Tapan Kumar Mukherjee said the state was considering hiking monthly stipend of such patients from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000.