No nearby centres for disabled: UGC NET exam raises accessibility concerns

The Hindu

2 days ago

Siddharth B. Mahajan was looking forward with confidence towards the Junior Research Fellowship exam. 'After qualifying UGC-NET in my first attempt, I was determined to get the JRF. But I had to cancel my participation,' said Mr. Mahajan, a 100 percent visually impaired student from Christ University, Bengaluru.
When Mr. Mahajan applied for the UGC NET 2025 exam, he was allotted a centre 35 kilometres away from his residence in Bengaluru. Unable to travel such a long distance independently, he cancelled his attempt.
His experience highlights a recurring concern among candidates with physical disabilities — lack of clear guidelines or accommodations when it comes to examination centre allocation.
While the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the UGC-NET, allows all candidates to select their preferred cities during registration, it does not provide assurances about the exact centre location within those cities, regardless of disability status. In some cases, candidates from nearby towns and villages have reported having to travel to city centres, spend the night on campus grounds, and appear for the exam the next day.
Though the agency mentions that 'all efforts will be made' to consider the comfort and convenience of persons with disabilities (PwD), there is no specific provision in the UGC-NET information bulletin that ensures visually impaired candidates are allotted nearby or accessible centres.
Although there are many provisions for relating to Persons with Disability (PwD)/ Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) in the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities's 'Guidelines for conducting written examination for persons with benchmark disabilities 2018,' such as the option of using a scribe, reader, or lab assistant, writing the exam in Braille, availing compensatory time, and being provided proper seating arrangements at the venue, however, these provisions do not extend to centre allocation.
Mr. Mahajan's case has triggered questions around whether India's examination system truly can truly accommodate persons with disabilities, particularly when it comes to logistical and infrastructural access. Despite existing legal protections under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, candidates and advocates argue that such policies fall short, leaving students such as Mr. Mahajan navigate gaps on their own.
Medical and social problems
On June 27, Mr. Mahajan was fully prepared for his UGC NET exam and had even arranged for a scribe to accompany him. However, upon assessing the route to his allotted centre, he realised the journey involved navigating multiple modes of transport and following signboards, something particularly challenging for someone who is 100 percent visually impaired. Considering Bengaluru's infamous traffic congestion, restrictions like the bike ban, and his disability certificate, he had expected the UGC or the NTA to provide a centre closer to his residence. Ultimately he decided to cancel going to the venue.
Gyanendra Purohit, a disability rights advocate based in Indore who works closely with students who are deaf, mute, and blind, says that students with physical disabilities, especially those who are visually impaired, often face difficulties arranging scribes. 'Scribes sometimes cancel at the last moment, fall ill, or simply refuse to show up on the day of the exam,' he said. He also said that when a scribe cancels last-minute or the venue is too far to reach, students often lose the opportunity despite being academically prepared.
Speaking about Mr. Mahajan's situation, Mr. Purohit said: 'It's not that they lack academic ability but It's the behaviour of society that disables people.'
Dr. Mita Joshi, an Indore-based ophthalmologist who specialises in advanced treatments in treating young adults with visual impairments, explains that once a thorough eye examination is conducted, doctors determine whether the condition is treatable or not, depending on the medical status of the cornea. 'When the condition is found to be untreatable, we categorise the degree of visual impairment. Based on this, a disability certificate is issued, ranging from 50%, 70% to 100% blindness,' she said. Dr. Joshi added that individuals certified with 100% blindness are typically only able to perceive light, without the ability to detect shapes, movements, or any visual cues in front of them.
Support measures
UGC Chairman, Vineet Joshi, responded to a request for an interview on candidates with disabilities, saying due to 'prior official commitments and important official meetings' he was unable to 'accede to your request.'
According to the official information bulletin, candidates can indicate their preferred cities when applying for the UGC NET exam. However, there is no explicit mention of additional considerations during centre allocation for candidates with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired.
Both the UGC and NTA guidelines refer to broad provisions under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, including the availability of scribes and compensatory time. Yet, specifics around exam centre proximity, transport challenges, or facilitation on the day of the exam are not mentioned in the publicly available documents. In such situations candidates often rely on informal support systems or self-arrangements to reach exam venues, which may prove difficult, especially in large, traffic-heavy cities or while moving between cities.