New Delhi: The Delhi University (DU)'s treatment of staff member with disabilities has come under scrutiny following a recent incident involving alleged harassment.

Sharmishta Atreja, a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy who is 100% visually impaired, received a penalty recovery letter from the joint registrar. The letter demands repayment of Rs 6,74,100 for her alleged illegal stay in the varsity housing from August 6, 2021 to March 27, 2024.

She had served as the resident tutor at Under-Graduate Hostel for Girls from February 2018 to March 2023 and resided in her allotted accommodation from August 2021 to March 2024.

She said the accusation of “illegal stay” is baseless, as her house rent allowance (HRA) and license fees were consistently deducted from her monthly salary.

Furthermore, she called it unfair as the university did not pay heed to her requests for a reasonable-accommodation. Moreover, they denied her the opportunity to present her case before the concerned committee and challenge the inaccuracies in the time-line and calculations.

In 2018, the then vice-chancellor appointed Professor Sharmishta as a resident tutor, entitling her to housing benefits. However, she was not provided accommodation on campus.

Speaking to The Mooknayak, she stated, “Until 2021, none of my applications were acknowledged, and it took a court intervention for my home institute to finally provide accommodations.”

She said from 2018 to 2021, despite her repeated requests for a ground-floor accommodation near her workplace, she had to manage her duties from a rented place.

“This became particularly challenging when I had to work at odd hours, requiring my father’s assistance in the middle of the night. In 2021, I was finally allocated the only available ground-floor accommodation, but subsequently faced unfair penalties for the university’s failure to provide suitable options. The High Court directed the university to handle my case with ‘sympathy’.”

Despite serving as a resident tutor until 2023, she faced eviction notices during her tenure. This role includes housing without extra pay, making it unjust for her to be without campus accommodation for three years. After significant effort, she was finally allocated housing.

However, in 2023, when her tenure concluded, her request for an extension — typically granted to others — was denied. Despite her repeated requests for on-campus housing near the Arts Faculty, she was offered accommodations farther away.

Atreja consistently emphasized her need for 'proximity' due to her visual impairment. Adjusting to new locations is challenging, especially for someone who relies on 'spatial memory'.

Despite multiple applications, the university has not provided any updates. While there have been media reports and inquiries from concerned individuals, she has not received any official communication.

The only official communication she received demanded 13 lakhs, which was later 'discounted' to 50% by the administration, purportedly as a sympathetic gesture. This was despite regular deductions of multiple fees and water charges.

Interestingly, the letter omitted the breakdown of the amount, leaving the details unknown to the professor.

Atreja further noted that she has yet to receive any official statement from the university on the matter, despite her repeated attempts to contact the proctor and the vice-chancellor.

Fortunately, several professors and members of the Academic Council are ensuring that this issue does not go unnoticed.

The Democratic Teacher’s Front of Delhi University has written a letter to Vice-Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the penalty.

The letter further stated, "The harassment faced by Ms. Atreja is symptomatic of the larger malaise plaguing the University of Delhi. Even as the University celebrated its centenary of existence, it is extremely unfortunate that time and again, the University has failed to honor the rights and dignity of its PwBD category students and employees. Affected PwBD individuals are often compelled to seek judicial intervention as the University consistently fails them."

Abha Dev Habib, secretary of the Democratic Teachers' Front and associate professor at Miranda House, remarked on the issue, saying, "The mistreatment of Ms. Atreja underscores a systemic issue. A sincere commitment to equity and an enabling environment demands that the University and its colleges prioritize housing for employees with disabilities."

"Considering recent appointments and the 4% reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD), this should be recognized as a critical necessity for their well-being and rightful inclusion in the system."

Professor Vikas Gupta from the Department of History and an elected member of the Academic Council for 2023-2024, observed that the university administration's treatment of Atreja appears punitive due to her assertion of legitimate rights.

He highlighted that in similar cases involving non-disabled faculty members, such penalties would not have been levied. Given that she is a woman with a disability, greater sensitivity and care should have been exercised. Instead, the authorities displayed minimal sensitivity and made calculation errors.

Legal Rights Regarding Accommodation

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 mandates the appointment of a liaison officer responsible for overseeing all matters related to persons with disabilities (PwDs). This includes ensuring their recruitment, preventing discrimination and providing necessary facilities and services to remove barriers and enhance their productivity.

Strict adherence to these mandates is crucial for companies and organizations to ensure the full inclusion of persons with disabilities.

An essential component of creating an inclusive environment is providing appropriate accommodations, especially in workplace and residential settings. For example, ensuring accessible housing on or near university campuses for staff with disabilities is not just a benefit but a fundamental necessity.

This includes providing ground-floor accommodations, making modifications for ease of mobility and ensuring proximity to essential facilities and workspaces.

Organizations must prioritize creating barrier-free environments that meet the specific needs of PwDs. This involves architectural adjustments like ramps, elevators, and tactile pathways, as well as ensuring accessible restrooms and workstations.

Moreover, technological accommodations such as screen readers and adaptive software should be readily available to enhance productivity and independence.

Additionally, organizations should implement policies that support flexible working arrangements, such as remote work options or adjusted working hours, to accommodate the diverse needs of PwDs.