The Delhi High Court (HC) has directed a Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) in Noida to provide free uniform and waive the computer fee for a student who is 75% visually impaired. The court has further asked the school to bear the cost of transportation for the student.
The direction has come in response to a petition filed on behalf of a grade six student studying at KV who sought grant of books, learning materials and assistive devices along with other facilities as provided under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The High Court passed the direction on December 12 and said that the facilities such as uniforms, computer fees and transportation costs are all covered under the statute. In the opinion of this court, these constitute basic facilities for a child such as the Petitioner.
Justice Prathiba M Singh said, “Considering the recognition given to the rights of persons with disabilities, there can be no doubt that these facilities ought to be provided especially at Kendriya Vidyalaya Schools which are government schools present all over the country, in order to ensure that children with disabilities are not deprived of proper education.”
The court directed that the school to provide uniform free of cost within a period of two weeks to the Petitioner. Insofar as the computer fee is concerned, since it is only Rs 100, the same shall be waived, it added.
“Insofar as transportation cost is concerned, since the school is stated to not provide any transportation facilities, on the next date of hearing, the Counsel for the Petitioner would make a submission as to the transportation cost incurred by the Petitioner for travelling from his residence to the school and back, the court further directed.
The Petitioner sought learning material, assistive devices, laptop designed for the visually handicapped, a uniform, a transportation cost waiver, computer fees waiver, among others as per the RPWD Act, 2016. The said facilities were not being granted to the Petitioner by the school despite an order by the Chief Commissioner passed on October 13, 2020 and October 22, 2020, an official statement said.
The Kendriya Vidya Sangthan and Kendriya Vidyalaya filed a status report stating that the facilities have been provided to the student. This fact was disputed by the counsel for the petitioner.
With inputs from ANI