New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Fulfilling a long standing demand of the disabled community, the union cabinet Thursday agreed to amend the Right to Education Act to include handicapped children under its ambit.
A bill to this effect will be introduced in parliament.

“The Department of School Education and Literacy received representations from various organisations working for the welfare of the children with disabilities and who set up minority institutions, seeking certain amendments to the legislation. Consequent upon examination of the points raised in these representations it is proposed to make the following amendments,” the cabinet said in a statement.

The amendment will include “inclusion of children with disabilities within the meaning of ‘children belonging to disadvantaged group’ and providing that children with disabilities as defined in the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 shall have special rights to pursue free and compulsory elementary education”.

“It also proposes to add that the School Management Committee constituted under the act by aided minority institutions shall perform advisory function,” the cabinet added.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 has been enacted by parliament to provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to 14 years.