’Dyslexia’ gains ground in DU

University officials claim students are using disease as an excuse to get admission in colleges of their choice

'Dyslexia' gains ground in DU

University officials claim students are using disease as an excuse to get admission in colleges of their choice

Taare Zameen Par, the 2007 movie that brought dyslexia to limelight, seems to have a little more than the desired effect. Apart from changing people's attitude and making them feel their problems, it also seems to have sparked off a new trend in Delhi University (DU). As per DU records, about 20 cases of dyslexia were reported in the physically handicapped (PH) category during the 2011 academic session.

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The number 'dyslexic' students who have applied in the PH category has increased this year. According to the officials, this number has been steadily increasing from the past two years. This year, though, the number has reportedly doubled.

"The number has almost doubled as compared to last year. Also almost 1/3rd of them do not qualify in the PH category," said Dr Gulshan Sawhney, deputy dean, student's welfare, DU. Officials also complain that students are taking unfair advantage of the disease. They say that many of the students who are not satisfied with the college where they have gotten admission, try to get admission into a college of their choice by applying in the PH category.

"Students who are not satisfied with their college tend to go for this. They wait for the PH category so that they can get a college of their choice. Moreover, it becomes difficult for us to detect such patients," added Sawhney. Meanwhile, doctors too agree that it is quite difficult to detect the mental disability, but there are ways to find it out.

"Dyslexia is generally detected at an early stage when students are in school. It is difficult to detect the mental disability as there is no problem with IQ levels. They will only have problems in either writing or reading. Even foreign universities give half an hour extra to such students during exams," said Dr Ajay Pal Singh, psychologist, Max Healthcare.