Thiruvananthapuram: Prajina Krishnan, a visually challenged student, who wanted to pursue higher studies in computer science, had a harrowing time at the Plus-One counselling centre here on Thursday. The admission counsellor forced Prajina Krishnan from Kasargod, who scored seven A-plus in the SSLC, to sign an affidavit saying that she would not seek any assistance to study the subjects and do laboratory practical as she has low vision.
A visually challenged student, who wanted to pursue higher studies in computer science, had a harrowing time at the Plus-One counselling centre here on Thursday. She had to repeatedly plead with the officers against discrimination though the High Court and the State Child Rights Commissioner had asked the authorities to respect the aspirations of such students.
The admission counsellor forced Prajina Krishnan from Kasargod, who scored seven A-plus in the SSLC, to sign an affidavit saying that she would not seek any assistance to study the subjects and do laboratory practical as she has low vision. When Prajina showed the copies of the orders of the High Court and the Child Rights Commission to the officer, he feigned ignorance about them.
Finally, the officer forced her to sign the affidavit, before granting her a conditional permission, Mr Ram Kamal, mentor of Chakshumathi, a NGO which promotes science education among the blind and visually challenged students told DC.
Earlier, the CBSE and ISC had modified their practical examinations allowing visually impaired students to answer objective-type questions for practical or use a scribe as they do for secondary examinations. Last year, the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had personally intervened when three visually impaired students faced such issues at the admission counselling centre allowing them to take up science subjects.
Mr V.K. Damodaran, chairman of Chakshumathi, said that visually impaired students can easily pursue science subjects using Digital Accessible Information System (DIASY), technical standard digital audio books and appropriate assistance in examinations.
