HC directs JNU to admit disabled students into M.Phil, Ph.D

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to admit disabled students, who have cleared the entrance examinations, into the M.Phil and Ph.D courses.

The order by a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar came while hearing a petition filed by the National Federation of the Blind against JNU's admission policy 2018-19, alleging that it has failed to grant any relaxation to disabled persons in the entrance examination despite statutory prescription.

The federation's counsel, senior advocate S.K. Rungta told the bench that the university has not uploaded result of the successful students under the Persons With Disability (PWD) category on its website.

Expressing its disappointment, the bench said that it is upset to hear that the university has failed to discharge its duties and said why it is waiting for court's order for uploading the result in the website. The court also pointed out that various litigants related to JNU are pending before the courts as the university has no business to do in the courtrooms.

The bench directed the university to display the entire result on the website and grant admission to successful candidates.

The court, however, clarified that its earlier order, which had barred the JNU from allowing admission to the five per cent unfilled seats for disabled students for M.Phil and Ph.D courses, shall not intervene in the way of JNU in granting admission to the successful disabled students.- IANS