17-year-old differently-abled student, who's met the general category cut-off at St. Stephen's college, plans to turn down opportunity to study there citing lack of infrastructure at varsity
17-year-old differently-abled student, who's met the general category cut-off at St. Stephen's college, plans to turn down opportunity to study there citing lack of infrastructure at varsity
Most people would go great lengths to study at Delhi's prestigious St Stephen's College. But 17-year-old Shivangi Aggarwal is different. 
Making a choice: Shivangi Aggarwal says she wants to study in the US.
Pic/Mid Day
The physically challenged commerce student from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, who has secured eighty four per cent in her best four courses at the class XII CBSE board exams, made the general category cut-off at Stephen's. However, Shivangi says she doesn't plan on studying at any Delhi University college, because the varsity is disabled-unfriendly. 
All in line: Candidates gathered (above) at St Stephen's colleg
Shivangi says she wants to study overseas and has applied to a liberal arts academy in the US. She has applied in History (Hons) at Stephen's. She had plans to study either Sociology or Psychology as a discipline, but since Stephen's does not have any of the two courses, she went for History. As advised by her teachers and friends, she has also applied at other popular colleges at the varsity, keeping her options open. 
In north campus at Delhi University as admission season continues. File pics
Not satisfied
"I don't want to study in DU. It has limited facilities for students. It just encourages unhealthy competition among aspirants dying to get admission in the handful of popular colleges. Stephen's is a fallback option for me, if I do not get admitted to the US institute. Also, DU doesn't have any culture or infrastructure for physically handicapped students," said Shivangi.
Since the aspirant did not register for a Physically Handicapped (PH) quota till its due date on June 8, which leaves them ineligible for applying in the category, they are trying to procure the PH slip from the Dean Students Welfare (DSW) office.u00a0
No help?
"We didn't know of the last date for PH registration. Only after the first cut-off, we came to know about it. Since then we have been doing the rounds of the DSW to get the required slip for her to be able to get her desired course in one of the good colleges," said Aggarwal, her father, who is a businessman.
Some justice
As reported by us, Manish Arora, a physically handicapped boy who was denied admission in Shaheed Bhagat Singh College because of his disability, finally got admission in the course of his choice - Geography Hons. Two days after MiD DAY reported how Manish was denied admission by the college administration on the pretext that the course involves mountaineering as part of the curriculum; the college has on Wednesday given him admission in Geography Honours. Manish had been doing the rounds of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College for sometime to take admission in Geography honours. All in vain as the college was coming up with insensitive and ridiculous excuses to deny him admission. "On the first day, they advised me not to take admission in the course as it involves mountaineering. The next day I told them I will be able to continue with course, still they refused to give me admission," said Manish. Manish, who scored 60 per cent in the 12th boards, also wants to do a Ph.D in Geography later. "Geography interests me a lot. I really hope that I manage to get admission in Geography course," added Manish.
The Other Side
The university administration maintains that it's sensitive towards needs of differently-abled students. Dean, students' welfare at DU JM Khurana who is looking after the grievances of the candidates during admissions said, "They came to us after the due date was long over. Still we have tried to help them the best we could. Their problem is that they want us to admit the candidate to their desired course and college directly through the PH quota, which is not possible until the PH category second list comes out on June 28. We are always sensitive towards special candidates. Also, we gave them the PH slip, which they required for applying in
colleges."
Insensitive?
While things may have improved for physically challenged students at DU, a lot of work remains:
>>u00a0Absence of ramps, lifts, Braille books and special software at many colleges
>> Tactile paving and warning blocks also missing
>> Spaces like canteens, common rooms and laboratories still remain out of reach for special students in most colleges
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