Divyang medical students to get 20 minutes per hour extra in exam
   Date :11-Aug-2020

Divyang _1  H x
 
 
Principal Correspondent ;
 
There is a good news for divyang students studying health sciences courses. These students now will get 20 minutes per hour extra time while writing the examination. Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has issued a circular to this regard that says this rule of extra time will be applicable to internal, external and practical examinations for Under Graduate as well as Post Graduate health sciences courses.
 
Till now they were getting 30 minutes extra time for the whole examination. MUHS had already taken the decision of providing 20 minutes per hour extra time in examination to the divyang students. But it was not implemented due to several technical hassles. Now Dr Ajit Pathak, Controller of Examinations, MUHS issuing the letter of granting extra time for divyang students has provided respite to such examinees.
 
Dr Vedprakash Mishra who had held several prominent positions at Medical Council of India (MCI) had first provided the facility of extra mark to the students suffering from the problem of colour blindness. While talking to The Hitavada, Dr Mishra said, “Till 2016 the disability considered was of 40% below waist. Entire disability act was not implemented so the students with above disability after producing certificate issued by medical board used to get admission to health sciences courses. After 2016 everything got changed and rules of disability were modified. In Nagpur University I had moved a proposal to allot one hour extra time to blind students. That benefited lot of students.
 
Before that the students got very little time.” Welcoming the decision of MUHS, Dr Sofia Hussain Azad, Head, Department of Occupational Therapy (OT) at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) said, “There is a quota of 1 per cent in medical admissions and these students used to face the problem of time slot. They got very little time for writing the examination. 20 minutes per hour is a good time for these students.” One Aditya Sanjay Lohiya, a third year student of Government Medical College and Hospital, Akola had knocked the doors of court pointing out the provision of 20 minutes per hour extra time for divyang, given in University Grants Commission (UGC). He had prayed court to do the same for medical examinations too.
 
Dr Sophia Azad had supported him. The disabilities that are covered under Divyang category include Blindness, Low Vision/Partial Blind, Leprosy Cured persons, Hearing impaired - deaf and hard of hearing, Intellectual Disability - Mentally Challenged, Slow Learners; Mental Illness, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Chronic Neurological Conditions, Specific Learning Disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Speech and Language Disability, Thalassemia, Haemophilia, Sickle Cell Disease, Multiple Disabilities, Acid Attack Victim, Parkinson’s Disease. MUHS has marked the letter to all Deans, Principals of all colleges, institutes affiliated to it.
 
Those covered in Divyang definition The disabilities that are covered under Divyang category include Blindness, Low Vision/Partial Blind, Leprosy Cured persons, Hearing impaired - deaf and hard of hearing, Intellectual Disability - Mentally Challenged, Slow Learners; Mental Illness, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Chronic Neurological Conditions, Specific Learning Disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Speech and Language Disability, Thalassemia, Haemophilia, Sickle Cell Disease, Multiple Disabilities, Acid Attack Victim, Parkinson’s Disease.