Student with low-vision challenges university, High Court issues notice

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to the Guru Angad Dev University of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, over a petition challenging the prospectus issued by the respondent University whereby the students suffering from disability of low vision and some other disabilities were debarred for admission to the undergraduate programme of bachelor of veterinary science and animal husbandry course.

The petitioner, Abhiraj Mahajan, a resident of Pathankot, suffering from disability of low vision, submitted that debarring students with low vision for admission is not only illegal and arbitrary but also against the provisions of Persons with Disability Act, 2016.

The counsels of the petitioner, Kapil Kakkar and Shreesh Kakkar, contended that Mahajan was suffering from 10 per cent disability of low vision and had applied for admission to the BV Sc and AH course in the Guru Angad Dev University of Veterinary Science at Ludhiana. He was placed second in the merit list on the basis of his NEET Examination. However, when he went to attend the counselling on December 14, he was told that he cannot be considered.