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Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC seeks state's response to plea for filling vacant disability quota posts
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court last week asked the Maharashtra government to respond to a petition seeking a special recruitment drive to fill all backlog vacancies reserved for differently abled persons in various state departments. The public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Mission Accessibility, an NGO founded by visually impaired advocates dedicated to the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities (PwDs). It sought the enforcement of section 34(1) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, which mandates a 4% horizontal reservation for PwDs in all government establishments, including educational institutions. The petition, filed through advocates Prithviraj Choudhary and Sharon Patole, highlighted systemic non-compliance with the law by the Maharashtra government and educational bodies. It cited specific instances such as NGO Laxmi Shikshan Sanstha's failure to reserve posts at its institutions despite numerous vacancies, the denial of reserved positions to eligible candidates, and exploitative temporary contracts imposed on faculty with visual impairments. These violations infringe upon the constitutional rights to equality, dignity, and equal opportunity, the PIL said. The petitioner highlighted government data, which reveals that only 36% of the 26 million PwDs are employed in India. Notably, 47% of men with disabilities are likely to find employment, compared with just 23% of women, according to the data. In February 2024, the state commissionerate for people with disabilities (SCPD) highlighted that 99.99% of seats reserved for people with disabilities remain unfilled in Maharashtra, the petition said. Based on this data, the petitioner wrote to the SCPD to report the non-compliance with the reservation mandate in 11 universities and 1,117 colleges across Maharashtra. The commissionerate, in response, directed the state department of higher education to investigate the matter and take corrective measures. Although the department showed no progress in identifying and filling the backlog vacancies, it submitted data revealing the alarming state of vacancies reserved for PwDs in Maharashtra, the petition said. The statistics indicated a significant number of unfulfilled reserved posts: 76 out of 89 seats were vacant in Kolhapur, 69 out of 74 seats in Nagpur, 29 out of 30 seats in Mumbai, and 13 out of 28 seats in Solapur. Supported by government orders, RTI responses, media reports, and affidavits, the petitioner sought directions for a special recruitment drive to fill backlog vacancies, audits, and corrective recommendations by the SCPD, strict institutional compliance with the RPWD Act, and to address the systemic discrimination faced by PwDs in educational employment in Maharashtra. Taking cognisance of the matter, a division bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice MS Karnik directed the state to submit its response through the respondent parties—the Department of Higher and Technical Education, the Department for Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, and the SCPD—within four weeks.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Time of India
Poor handwriting, lack of sense of direction, more: Delhi teachers receive directions to check for subtle signs of disability in students
The Directorate of Education has instructed all schools, including government, aided, private, and those under local bodies such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Council, to conduct a thorough screening of students for 21 types of disabilities as outlined under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, reported TOI. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India stares at a 'water bomb' threat as it freezes Indus Treaty India readies short, mid & long-term Indus River plans Shehbaz Sharif calls India's stand "worn-out narrative" Using the Prashast mobile app and checklist, teachers are tasked with identifying both obvious and subtle signs of disabilities in students. These may include issues such as poor handwriting, difficulty maintaining eye contact, a lack of direction, or signs of being disconnected from reality, according to the TOI report. What is the primary objective? The primary goal is the early identification of disabilities and the provision of appropriate support for inclusive education. Before screening any child, however, a no-objection certificate must be obtained from the parents. Any suspected disabilities identified during the screening process will be referred for expert evaluation. According to the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular, teachers must complete training on the Prashast app by April 30. GIF89a����!�,D; 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like BenderFX: Trading Robots for Metatrader 4 | Expert Advisors BenderFX Read More Undo The school-level screening of students is required to be completed by July 25, with final reports, including class-wise and consolidated data, to be submitted to district coordinators by July 31. The circular also emphasizes that any negligence in the process will be taken seriously, and action may be taken against the school authorities. This screening is an annual initiative by the DoE aimed at the early identification of disabilities and the development and implementation of appropriate educational programs in line with the RPWD Act. Newly admitted students in classes I to XI, as well as those who were not included in the 2024-25 screening drive, will also be included. Each student will be closely observed by the class teacher in consultation with subject teachers. Those displaying "red flag" behaviors will be identified and considered for Part 1 of the Prashast checklist. Live Events Following the screening, students who possibly may be having disabilities will be referred to the district resource centre for further assessment and access to therapeutic services, as required. "Early intervention can change a child's entire learning journey," Sudha, vice-principal and psychology teacher at Bloom Public School, Vasant Kunj told TOI. "This isn't just a checklist — it's a detailed, collaborative process. Teachers are first oriented by special educators, then observe students closely for consistent behavioural patterns. Sometimes, what seems like a difficulty may just be temporary, so we always engage with parents before drawing conclusions. Every observation is reviewed again by the special educator. That's how thorough and meaningful this process is." (with TOI inputs)
Time of India
26-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Students To Be Screened For 21 Disabilities
New Delhi: The Directorate of Education has asked all schools, including govt, aided, private and those under local bodies like the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Council, to carry out a detailed screening of every student for 21 types of disabilities as defined under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Using the Prashast mobile app and checklist, teachers are directed to observe both overt and subtle signs of disabilities in students, among them poor handwriting, difficulty in making eye contact, lack of sense of direction or signs of being lost in an imaginary world. The primary objective is early identification of disability and provision of appropriate support and inclusive education. Teachers will undergo orientation on how to use the app effectively and document all observations. Before any screening of a child, however, a no-objection certificate has to be obtained from the parents. Suspected disabilities identified during the screening will be referred for expert evaluation. According to the DoE circular, teacher training on the Prashast app must be completed by April 30. The school-level screening of students must conclude by July 25 and final reports, including class-wise and consolidated data, must be submitted to district coordinators by July 31. Any negligence in this process, the circular warns, will be taken seriously and action may be taken against the school authorities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo This screening is an annual exercise conducted by DoE for early identification of disabilities among students and to develop and implement appropriate educational programme in line with the provisions of RPWD Act. Prashast will provide instructions, guidelines and items for the initial screening of 21 disabilities covered under the Act. Newly admitted students in classes I to XI as well those who were not included in the 2024-25 screening drive will also be covered. Each student in a particular class will be closely observed by the class teacher in consultation with subject teachers. Those who exhibit 'red flag' behaviours will be identified and considered for administering Part 1 of the Prashast checklist. The class teacher will maintain a list of all such suspect students. The Prashast checklist is divided into two parts. Part 1 is designed for use by regular teachers for initial screening. It consists of objective-type items that teachers can mark based on their day-to-day observations of a student's behaviour and abilities. Part 2 is intended for special educators, counsellors or school heads, and is used for a more detailed, second-level screening. This follow-up step is crucial in tentatively identifying specific disabilities based on the records collected in Part 1. Following the screening, students who possibly may be having disabilities will be referred to the district resource centre for further assessment and access to therapeutic services, as required. "Early intervention can change a child's entire learning journey," said Sudha, vice-principal and psychology teacher at Bloom Public School, Vasant Kunj. "This isn't just a checklist — it's a detailed, collaborative process. Teachers are first oriented by special educators, then observe students closely for consistent behavioural patterns. Sometimes, what seems like a difficulty may just be temporary, so we always engage with parents before drawing conclusions. Every observation is reviewed again by the special educator. That's how thorough and meaningful this process is." To help identify disabilities, DoE has listed indicators that include physical difficulties such as trouble walking, using hands for writing or eating, frequent falls or toe-walking. Teachers are also instructed to note speech issues like slurred pronunciation, word repetition or incoherent speech. Learning-related signs, such as reversing letters, skipping words while reading or difficulty understanding basic mathematical concepts, are also considered red flags. Social and emotional behaviours are equally important, such as avoiding eye contact, struggling to follow group instructions, being unable to make friends, showing excessive mood swings, expressing sadness, talking to imaginary figures, or exhibiting self-harming tendencies. Additionally, teachers are asked to observe unusual responses like detachment from reality, intense fear, or repetitive movements such as hand-flapping or body rocking. In some cases, behaviours like using an excessively loud voice, having trouble staying focused in class, appearing frequently withdrawn, showing unexplained bruises or swelling, or exhibiting signs of substance use may also indicate the presence of a disability.
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Business Standard
23-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Delhi HC seeks response from Swiggy, Zepto, Meity on PwD accessibility plea
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from Swiggy, Zepto, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on a plea alleging that the mobile applications of Swiggy and Zepto are inaccessible for persons with disabilities. Justice Sachin Datta has fixed the hearing on May 28. The petition has been filed by Mission Accessibility, an NGO advocating the rights of persons with disabilities. The plea says that the mobile applications in question are inaccessible for persons with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments. This prevents people from using essential services such as food delivery, grocery shopping, and restaurant reservations, the plea said. It also said that both Zepto and Swiggy platforms have failed to ensure compliance with accessibility requirements under Sections 40 and 46 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016 and Rule 15 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017. Section 40 of the RPWD Act mandates the central government to set accessibility standards for physical environments, transportation, and information and communication technologies. Section 46 requires all government and private service providers to ensure accessibility in accordance with these rules within a two-year timeframe. As per the plea, the lack of accessible search features, unlabelled interactive elements, absence of essential product details, and the inability of visually impaired users to position their device cameras for necessary transactions, such as returning items, create severe barriers to independent digital access. The petition sought a court direction to the two platforms to submit a detailed accessibility audit report from a government-empanelled auditor identifying all existing barriers faced by persons with disabilities on their digital platforms. A direction is also sought on Zepto and Swiggy to provide a long-term strategy to ensure that all future updates, modifications, and newly introduced features remain fully accessible and compliant with established accessibility standards.
