Lok Sabha Question No. 4191 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-07
Subject: Quota for Disabled Persons
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: ASADUDDIN OWAISI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4191 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.01.2019

## QUOTA FOR DISABLED PERSONS

## 4191. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

## Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 fixed a minimum 3 per cent quota for disabled in top Universities and Institutions of higher education like Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) etc.;
- (b) if  so,  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  32  of  India  top  Universities  and  Institutions  have  failed  to accommodate disabled students and have only 1614 disabled out of their population of 3.33 lakh;
- (c) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government has issued any directions to all the Universities and Higher educational institutions to fill up the quota of disabled students;
- (e) if so, the details thereof;
- (f) whether the Government proposes to amend 1995 Act to relax norms to enable such students to get admissions in these institutions; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof and if not, the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## ANSWER (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a)  to  (g)  The  Department  of  Higher  Education  had  instructed  all  the  Central  Funded  Higher  Education Institutions  for  the  implementation  of  the  provisions  of  the  Persons  with  Disabilities  Act,  1995.  The consolidated information on number of reserved seats for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) is not centrally maintained, however the enrolment of divyang students in the Higher Educational Institutions in last four years is given in the annexure.

The Government of India had repealed the PwD Act, 1995 and notified the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD), 2016 which has come into force with effect from 19.04.2017. Section 32 of the RPwD  Act  envisages  that  All  Government  institutes  of  higher  education  and  other  higher  education institutions receiving aid from the Government shall reserve not less than five per cent seats for persons with  benchmark  disabilities.  The  persons  with  benchmark  disabilities  shall  be  given  an  upper  age relaxation of five years for admission in institutions of higher education.

National Policy on Education, 1986 (as modified in 1992) lays special emphasis on education of Persons  with  Disabilities  (PwDs).  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  has  instructed  all  the IITs/IIMs  for  the  implementation  of  the  Section  32(1)  of  the  RPwD  Act,  2016.  The  University  Grants Commission (UGC), has also been from time to time, instructing to the Universities and Deemed to be Universities, for implementation of the reservation policy for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). The UGC has circulated  the  RPwD Act, 2016 to all the  Universities including  Deemed to be University  and state University for compliance i.e. to ensure effective implementation of reservation of five percent of seats in every Government and Government aided higher educational institutions in terms of section 32(1) of the Act.

The University Grants Commission is continuously monitoring the progress of implementation of reservation policy including admission to all level courses in universities and colleges. UGC has instructed to  all  the  Universities  including  Deemed  to  be  University  and  state  University  to  ensure  effective implementation of the reservation policy in Universities and institutions receiving aid from the public funds except in Minority institutions under Article 30 (1) of the Constitutions.

Ministry  has  also  issued  instructions  for  implementation  of  various  provisions  of  PwD  Act  like providing  barrier  free  environment  in  buildings,  which  would  include  provisions  of  ramps,  rails,  lifts ,adaptation of toilets fare wheel chair users, brail signages auditory signals, tactile flooring  to Centrally Funded Higher Education Institutes.

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ANNEXURE  REFFRRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  to  (g)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  4191  FOR  07.01.2019  ASKED  BY  Hon'ble  M.P.  SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI REGARDING 'QUOTA FOR DISABLED PERSONS'

## PwD Enrolment in various types of Universities

## (a) Teaching departments and Constituent Units/Off-campus Centres

|   Sl. No. | Details of Universities               |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |
|-----------|---------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|         1 | Central University                    |      2647 |      2921 |      3187 |      3227 |
|         2 | Central Open University               |         0 |         0 |        43 |         9 |
|         3 | Institute of National Importance      |      1860 |      2038 |      2230 |      2397 |
|         4 | State Public University               |      3759 |      4392 |      4645 |      5097 |
|         5 | State Open University                 |       475 |       250 |      1223 |       862 |
|         6 | State Private University              |      1525 |      1524 |      1469 |      1587 |
|         7 | Institute under State Legislature Act |         5 |        13 |        59 |        10 |
|         8 | Deemed University-Government          |       133 |       146 |       144 |       229 |
|         9 | Deemed University-Government Aided    |       131 |       144 |       137 |       111 |
|        10 | Deemed University-Private             |       323 |       304 |       381 |       596 |
|        11 | Grand Total                           |     10858 |     11732 |     13518 |     14125 |

## PwD Enrolment in various types of Universities (b) Affiliated and Constituent Colleges

|   12 | Central University      |   2763 |   2779 |   2308 |   2317 |
|------|-------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
|   13 | State Public University |  44791 |  54651 |  49276 |  47794 |
|   14 | Grand Total             |  47554 |  57430 |  51584 |  50111 |

Source- All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE).