Maharashtra: Activists slam proposal for disabled-only university

As requested by the states Higher and Technical Education Department a 15member expert committee chaired by Dr Muralidhar Chandekar former Vice Chancellor of Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University has recommended the creation of a fully equipped independent university for differentlyabled individuals However the proposal has faced significant opposition with many disability centres and activists arguing that it undermines the principles of inclusive educationThe report which explores the necessity of an independent Divyang Vidyapeeth university for differentlyabled individuals and outlines how such an institution could be established in the state was submitted to the state government on August 9 but was acknowledged and accepted by the ministry of higher and technical education during a meeting held on ThursdayAn official said ldquoThere is a need for a centralised independent university dedicated to serving these students While social activists and organisations have raised this demand it is equally important to assess whether establishing dedicated centres for them within conventional universities would be a more practical approachrdquolsquoNot in favourrsquoHowever activists trainers and academics argue that such an initiative could potentially isolate differentlyabled individuals rather than integrate them into mainstream education Ketan Kothari managing consultant programmes at the Xaviers Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged XRCVC at St Xaviers CollegeMumbai in an email to midday said The government of Maharashtra has floated the idea of setting up a special university for students with disabilities This idea is a misstep in many waysHe added ldquoThe idea of a Special University for students with disabilities is flawed for several reasons Academically its impractical to offer all subjects under one roof and there arent enough trained educators who specialise in disabilities It is not economically possible to open multiple such institutions across the state especially when students are spread out A more practical approach would be to establish resource centres across the state Simply providing infrastructure isnrsquot enough we need trained staff assistive technology and disability specialists for success This proposal could limit students academic and career choices violating their fundamental rights under the Indian Constitution It also contradicts the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 which mandates inclusion at all levelsAs per Kothari and the XRCVC team the proposed university would also give a blow to the psychological makeup of persons with disabilities as on one hand society will neglect them on the maxim of ldquoOut of sight out of mindrdquo and on another hand the disabled themselves would be falsely expecting life opportunities which cannot and should not be encouragedAddress specific needsTEACH Training and Educational Centre for Hearing Impaired is a Mumbaibased charitable trust dedicated to ensuring higher education for hearingimpaired students Aman Sharma cofounder of TEACH said ldquoBringing together a classroom of students with various disabilities can create confusion Each disability requires a unique approach to teaching and learning Simply grouping them needs will not solve the problemSharma emphasized that the goal should be to establish specialized centres or institutes tailored to the educational needs of different types of disabilities This centre could also develop adaptive syllabi addressing both inclusivity and specialized education without compromising either he added A professor from SNDT University said Setting up an independent university sounds promising but the government must ensure that students with disabilities who prefer to study in regular colleges or universities are not denied admission under this pretextrdquoThe committeeA Government Resolution GR was issued in December 2023 to formalise this initiative Subsequently a 15member expert committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Dr Muralidhar Chandekar former Vice Chancellor of Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University with the expectation that the committee would submit its report by February or March 2024About the reportSpeaking to midday Dr Murlidhar Chandekar who heads the stateappointed 15member committee said While the report has been accepted the further process including implementation is now in the hands of the ministry They will decide on the next steps and present it to the cabinet Currently no institution has adequate infrastructure for differentlyabled students Therefore we have suggested establishing an independent university at the state level Additionally we have proposed the creation of multiple subcentres across different regions While differentlyabled students currently apply to regular educational institutions this new university will provide a unique opportunity for regular students to study alongside differentlyabled peersrdquo he added