36 city aspirants take UGC-NET in Braille

The examination was offered in Braille in 44 subjects.

Written by Dipti Singh

Mumbai | July 3, 2014 02:51 AM IST

2 min read

Following the Madras High Court’s order in December last year, the University Grants Commission (UGC), for the first time, conducted its National Eligibility Test (NET) for teaching jobs in Braille and 36 visually challenged students from Mumbai took the exam. The examination was offered in Braille in 44 subjects.

The coordinator of UGC NET in Mumbai, Dr. D Harichandan, said, “In Mumbai region, 36 visually challenged candidates were provided Braille booklets. The students were also allowed to use devices such as talking calculator, Taylor Frame, Braille slate and stylus (a device used for writing Braille by hand), abacus and geometry kit to assist them in their exam.”

Talking calculators, as the name suggests, is helpful to someone who cannot read the standard calculator display, while the Taylor Frame is used to teach mathematics to blind students.This year, the UGC conducted the bi-annual NET on June 29 at nine centers across the city.
In all, 9,907 aspirants had registered for the test, of which 8,000 appeared. The results will be announced in August.

Harichandan said that the objective type test papers saw a change in format from December 2014 test. “In a bid to improve the test, UGC has asked for feedback not only from the aspirants but also from the teaching faculty and other stakeholders,” he added.

dipti.singh@expressindia.com

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University Grant Commission visually challenged students