Thursday, Jun 03, 2010
Two dyslexic students declared eligible under this quota


Bangalore: For the first time ever, two dyslexic students were declared eligible to be admitted under the quota for persons with disabilities at the medical examination conducted for physically-challenged students at the Karnataka Examinations Authority here on Wednesday. This medical test precedes the seat allocation process to professional colleges across Karnataka. KEA officials attributed the “poor response” to this move, that permits dyslexic students to apply for this quota, to low awareness about this recent government order. The government order was passed in late April and hence was not publicised enough, they said.

Maharashtra is the only other State to permit dyslexic students to be admitted under the disability quota (in accordance with a Supreme Court order that allows the learning disability to be classified as a ‘mental disability').
Meanwhile, 130 of the 153 students who came for their medical examination round were declared eligible to appear for counselling on Thursday. For S. Jayashree, a physically disabled candidate who passed out from Marimallappa Women's college in Mysore, it was a long and tedious wait at the KEA premises. The rank list was only put up at 6 p.m. “It has been my childhood dream to become a doctor and I hope to get a seat in a good college in Mysore,” she said.

Abhishek C.K., a student from Bellary, wants to be a civil engineer. “I have a lot of friends who are civil engineers who were my inspiration. I put in a lot of hard work for my PUC and I pray I do not let down my family tomorrow,” he said, a tad apprehensive about sitting for the counselling process.

Another student from Bijapur, Veeresh B.B., said that he too wanted to get into engineering. “First, I wanted to be a doctor. But the course is far too expensive. I devoted the last few months to studying and hope it pays off,” he said.