The Delhi High Court has asked a lawyer, appointed to assist it in a case to ensure that the Campus Law Centre (CLC) in the Delhi University is accessible to persons with disabilities to file a comprehensive report after visiting the premises.

Amicus curiae (friend of the court) Kamal Gupta suggested that he should be allowed to visit the campus so that a comprehensive affidavit could be filed indicating the further requirements to be complied with by the university.

The counsel for the university said all necessary cooperation would be rendered to Gupta.

“Learned amicus curiae shall intimate the learned counsel for respondent no.1-university regarding the proposed date of his visit to the Campus Law Centre,” Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said in a recent order.

“Learned amicus curiae, after visiting the Campus Law Centre, shall place on record a comprehensive report/suggestion to be further implemented by the respondent no.1-university. During his visit, let all necessary assistance be rendered,” the court ordered.

The Delhi University (DU) submitted that it has taken various steps to ensure that the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act are complied with.

It said it has always been sensitive and concerned towards the needs of persons with disabilities and enabling measures have been taken and an access audit was conducted in this regard.

The university is adopting a proactive approach through its own resources and has taken a further initiative to get access audits conducted of the CLC, Faculty of Law and other buildings within the campus, the affidavit filed by the DU said.

The court granted a last opportunity to the DU last month to file a comprehensive affidavit on the implementation of the provisions of the Right of Persons with Disability Act.

The court had also asked the university to file the affidavit showing how the suggestions of the amicus curiae on physical infrastructure and accessibility for persons with disability at the CLC were implemented.

The DU had earlier said repairing work in toilets, corridors, open areas and a provision for tactile and other facilities for persons with disabilities at the CLC have been completed by the agency to the satisfaction of the competent authority of the university.

The court was hearing a plea moved by Jayant Singh Raghav, a visually-impaired DU student, who raised the issue of providing assistive devices to differently-abled students during examinations.

The court had earlier appointed Gupta as amicus curiae in the matter and he had put forward several suggestions in his report regarding the physical infrastructure and accessibility of the CLC. The report said according to the guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC), an access audit of the CLC be directed to be conducted and a report submitted to the court.

The matter would next be heard by the court on February 21.