Maharashtra panel to look into possibility of forming university for persons with disabilities

Sharing more details, an official from the department said, “Considering that students who are persons with disabilities are spread across the state and are pursuing various courses in higher education of their choice in different universities. It is important to see if there is a requirement for a centralised independent university catering to them. While there was such demand, it is also important to study if having dedicated centres for them in conventional universities will be a more effective setup. Thus, the committee is first tasked to brainstorm over the requirements of such an independent university before suggesting a plan of action for steps to be taken for convenient higher education options for persons with disabilities.”

The department issued a Government Resolution (GR)in this regard on Friday with a detailed plan of action for the expert-committee. The committee is expected to submit its report in two months.

According to the GR, the idea wasn’t to directly go ahead and form a separate university, but to study if there indeed was a requirement to set up of such a specialised university under the concept of inclusive education defined in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 which is also encouraged under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The committee is expected to conduct an overall study to determine if having a separate university may lead to a feeling of isolation among persons with disabilities. It will also study the possibility of affiliating dedicated centres to a specialised university which can develop customised courses in line with UGC parameters.