The Hindu, Saturday, 29th May 2010

Absence of provision in TNAU application form irks differently abled

Karthik Madhavan

COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University's application form for undergraduate courses has irked the differently abled.

Section 10 of the ‘Application For Admission To Undergraduate Degree Programs 2010-11' has ‘BC', ‘BCM (Muslim)', ‘MBC/DNC', ‘SC', ‘SCA (SC-Arundhathiyars)', ‘ST' and ‘Open Competition' categories. It has left out the differently abled, though.

A separate check box for the differently abled is a must because that is the place the applicants can let know the institution of their status. Declaration of the status will help them avail of the reservation they are eligible for, argues Surya Nagappan of Caliber, an organisation working for the challenged people.

The differently abled enjoy three per cent reservation, as per the orders of the State Government. The University acknowledges the same in its brochure: “Three per cent of the seats in the undergraduate degree programme are reserved for physically handicapped candidates. The applicant should possess minimum qualifying marks and should attach proof of evidence along with the application.”

The use of the word handicapped has also angered the applicants. “When the Government has discontinued the use of the word and suggested differently abled or persons with disabilities instead, how is it that the University has failed to reflect the change,” he asks. “It pains us when such a great institution continues to refer to us as handicapped.”

The question Mr. Surya raised has put parents of a diffierently abled applicant in a fix. Father of the applicant, on conditions of anonymity, says he did not know what to write under Section 10 of the application form. He has not checked any of the boxes and now fears rejection of his daughter's candidature.

The University not making provision for the differently abled to fill in their status stands in stark contrast to the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission application form. A soft copy of the application form under Section 18 mentions special reservations and among the differently abled categories has separate check boxes for orthopaedically differently abled, persons with hearing impairment and persons with visual impairment.

It also talks about the number of seats for applicants coming under these categories and provides necessary details.

Such provisions have not been made and are not available for the challenged people in The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University and Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University application forms. A few leading professional colleges are no exception either.

Dean, Admission, TNAU, V. Jayabal, who is in charge of admissions, was not available for comments. A professor, who also takes care of admission, says on conditions of anonymity that absence of the provision does not mean their applications will be rejected.

To be eligible for admission they will have to attach a photocopy of the certificate the District Disabled Rehabilitation Office provides, he clarifies.

On the use of the word ‘handicapped' in the brochure, he says for the change to take effect, the University's Academic Council will have to approve of the same.