New Delhi, Dec 24: The Union Cabinet has approved introduction of an amendment in the Right to Education Bill so that it includes disabled children.

The approval for the introduction of the amendment came on Thursday, Dec 24 keeping in view the demand of groups working for the disabled children.

These groups have been pressurising the government to ensure that disabled children are covered by the Act.

Speaking on this development, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, said, the amendment will provide for special rights to pursue free and compulsory elementary education to children with disabilities as defined in the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, was passed by Parliament in Jul 2009.

The Act provides for free and compulsory education for all the children in the age group of 6 to 14 years. It also reserves 25 pc of the private school seats to children from the economically backward sections of the society.

OneIndia News