Over 1,600 seats are reserved for specially-abled students in the Delhi University, but hundreds of seats are left vacant every year.
A little less than 450 special children reported for admissions at the Delhi University this year, leaving the university officials happy over the turnout which has normally been very dismal.
The number at 441 is 44 more than last year's total figure of physically challenged students (397) who took admissions in various courses.
Over 1,600 seats are reserved for specially-abled students in the Delhi University, but hundreds of seats are left vacant every year.
Though the number this year too was meagre, but the increase has encouraged the administration.
"The last day for admissions ended today but I am still open for special candidates as long as the admission process is on. I am hopeful that this year the number will touch 500," Seema Parihar, Deputy Dean Students' Welfare, and in-charge of the centre for special children told PTI.
She said last year's figure for the last day had stood at 372 but the number went up to 397 as the counter was kept open for such students for a longer period.
"They are special children, so we wish to give them special treatment. Some students might be struck due to floods
in some parts of the country and they might turn up later,"
she said.
The maximum number of physically challenged students belonged to the category of 'locomotor disabled' from which
165 turned up for admissions this year.
"This was a category which was confined to homes and many of them came with newspaper clippings that had informed them of reserved seats in DU. I really have to credit the media for informing students," she said.
Only 20 'special students' had reported on the first two days at the admission centre catering for them, leaving the university administration concerned over the abysmally low number.
The number steadily went to 300 in the first week of the process after an initially poor turnout.
For special students, the University has a dedicated centre at the office of DSW, equipped with trained experts and counsellors as well as well sign language experts.
Three per cent of the 54,000 seats in the university's colleges are reserved for the differently-abled students, but every year not more than 400-500 of them report for admissions.
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