'Implement GO on college fees waiver for differently abled students in Tamil Nadu'

CHENNAI: A forum for the differently abled has written a letter to to the chief secretary stating that a majority of higher education institutions in the state have not implemented the government order (GO) providing fee waivers for the differently abled students over the past decade and a half. The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of the Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) has sought to issue an order for immediate implementation of the provision.

The forum president, T Wilson, on Thursday said that many institutions including universities, open universities, law colleges, medical institutions, engineering colleges, fisheries colleges, and polytechnic colleges were instructed in the government order issued in 2008 that fees have to be waived for the differently abled students.

"In addition, the state government also passed an order to waive exam fees and special fees for these students", he added.

He recalled that the then differently abled department secretary in 2010 had issued a circular to all the district collectors to create awareness about the waiver.

"However, even after the government order, which was issued 15 years back, it is unfortunate that it has not been implemented in many colleges", he claimed.

Pointing out that the new academic year would be starting soon, he said, "The government order for implementing the fees waiver scheme should have been introduced by conducting a review meeting with the department concerned".

There should be a grievances cell in every college to solve this issue, the forum president suggested.