The Hindu : New Delhi News : DU waking up to special needs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 20, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

DU waking up to special needs

Delhi University is all set to woo every student. While bright-eyed students flock to colleges in the new academic year, the University is focusing on making life easier for differently-abled students. Having got non-government organisation "Samarthya" conduct an access-audit for the North Campus as well as the South Campus, it is now working on setting up a Braille resource centre.

From finding ways to set up ramps to visual markers and much-needed handicapped toilets, the University has finally decided to make the campus more inclusive.

"We will get computers and train students so that they can read the text material," said Dean of Colleges Shirin Rathore.

The University has also formed an Equal Opportunities Committee to ensure that "equality" is a real concept for students.

"There is also a need to look at writers for students. The rules requires that writers have to be younger than the students, but we have had cases in which writers don't even know how to spell," said Ms. Rathore.

While the University is working on ways to help differently-abled students, colleges are also making an effort. Shri Ram College for Commerce is going to construct a toilet for handicapped students. A small step perhaps, but the University is finally waking up to special needs.

Miranda House is also hoping to make some changes in this direction. The college is starting its own resource centre for the visually challenged. This resource centre will be state-of-the-art and will have computers fitted with the right technology. Maitreyi College has asked Samarthya to conduct a separate access audit for the college so that it can improve accessibility.

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During the summer vacation just over, the colleges have been busy sprucing up their surroundings.

Shri Ram College of Commerce has decided to go beyond more than just the coat of paint and hopes to give students an added incentive to study. The library will soon be made air-conditioned.

"The library should be ready in the next two months. Earlier the librarian had an air-conditioned room, now students will be able to enjoy the facility," said Principal P.C Jain.

Hoping to be able to expand these facilities, the college authorities claim that SRCC will soon become the first air-conditioned college in the University.

However, this ambitious plan will take some time.

There have also been changes in the "green" bit of the college as well as the canteen, which is in the process of getting a whole new look.

Not alone in making these changes, Miranda House also has new things to offer its students staying in its newly renovated hostels. From giving them access to the Internet to providing a counsellor, the college is giving its students a feeling of "home".

"There will be laundry facilities. Students will be able to wash their clothes in the machines at cost price," said Nandini Dutta, a senior lecturer at Miranda House.

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The end of the holidays might not make students happy, but there are those who long for the break to be over. The best guides to the North Campus, cycle-rickshaw pullers are probably the happiest lot. "We get passengers till late in the evening now. When the campus is shut, it is really hard to make a living. But things improve in the admissions season," said a rickshaw puller.

Getting a new lease of life, the "banta-nimbu-wallahs" (lemonade sellers) are also doing brisk business. Part of the landscape of the North Campus, they are the flavour of the University as many thirsty newcomers will come to realise.

And as old-timers will vouch, this is the best time to be in the University.

-- Mandira Nayar

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