AMRITA PRIYA Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) MISS. Amrita Priya is a deaf and dumb girl. She was a student of the Government Girls' High School, Madayi in Kannur District. She has registered for the S. S. L. C. Examination in March, 1999 and expressed her desire to get exemption from 2nd and 3rd languages in the said examination on the plea that she is a deaf and dumb girl. She had earlier appeared for the s. S. L. C. Examination in March 1997 as well as in March, 1998. She did not claim exemption from writing the second and third languages and consequently the same was not granted. She then approached this Court and filed O. P. No. 1338 of 1999 which was disposed of by this Court permitting her to exercise option or express desire not to study second and third languages and directed the government to consider the said request in accordance with law,

(2.) PETITIONER has now wrote the S. S. L. C. Examination conducted in March 1999 and expressed her desire for exemption from writing second and third languages. She was informed that the said benefit would be available only to deaf candidates and not the candidate who is deaf and dumb. PETITIONER has therefore approached this Court seeking a declaration that the exemption for writing the second and third languages should be extended to deaf and dumb candidates also and not to deaf persons alone.

(3.) THEREAFTER Government called for the remarks of the universities in the State on the issue with particular reference to the desirability or otherwise of admitting the handicapped pupil qualifying in s. S. L. C. as above to the various courses of study in the Universities. The University of Cochin did not offer any remarks since the University does not offer any course for which the minimum requirement for admission is S. S. L. C. However, the University of Calicut expressed their opinion that the proposal to admit students in that category is not acceptable for them. The University of Kerala also informed mat the University does not find it academically sound to recommend exemption to the deaf and dumb pupils to take University examination in language at the university level.