Hyderabad: The Telangana Higher Education Department announced the implementation of five per cent reservation for persons with benchmark disability for admission to higher education in all government and aided institutions. Persons with disabilities have been given relaxation of five years in the upper age for admission to higher education. In an order issued on January 28 by Education Department Secretary Dr Yogita Rana, all government higher education institutions and other institutions receiving aid from the government have been directed to reserve at least 5 per cent seats for persons with benchmark disability.
According to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, person with benchmark disability means a person with 40 per cent or more of the specified disability. Each category of disability – blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing impairment, locomotor disability, autism and intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities will get a reservation of one per cent each. However, if candidates are not available in the respective categories, the vacancy will be filled from the next category, the order said. If eligible candidates with benchmark disability are not available, the vacant post will be filled from other candidates based on merit in the respective categories i.e. OC, BC, SC, ST, EWS or Women (if applicable).
