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The Supreme Court on Monday directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to ensure that guidelines for ease of access to students with disabilities in Universities/ Colleges are formulated before next date of hearing.

A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice AS Bopanna said that the Committee has been constituted and the work pertaining to the issue is a work in progress.

Advocate Manoj R Sinha appearing for UGC submitted that an updated status report has been filed and that it would need 8 weeks to frame guidelines pursuant to the present situation. 

The bench was hearing miscellaneous application over the compliance of Supreme Court order in the plea seeking direction to frame the rules for persons with disabilities laying down the standards of accessibility for colleges, universities and other higher educational institutions, including pedagogical measures such as reasonable accommodation, modifications and aids and appliances for lectures, curricula, teaching materials, laboratories, libraries, examinations, classrooms and hostels etc. within six months from today; and for a direction to the appropriate Governments to implement the said rules within two years from the notification of the said Rules in accordance with Section 46.

The Court had directed a committee to be constituted including persons from amongst Central Advisory Board, State Advisory Boards, Chief Commissioner of State Commissioners appointed under the Disabilities Act.

The bench had further noted that the Committee will undertake a detailed study for making provisions in respect of accessibility as well as pedagogy and would also suggest the modalities for implementing those suggestions, their funding and monitoring, etc.

"The Committee shall also lay down the time limits within which such suggestions could be implemented. The Expert Committee may also consider feasibility of constituting an in house body in each educational institution (of teachers, staff, students and parents) for taking care of day to day needs of differently abled persons as well as for implementation of the Schemes that would be devised by the Expert Committee," the bench added.

Case Title: Disabled Right Group Vs. Union of India