K Aryananda, a determined fourth-semester MLISC student at Calicut University in Kozhikode, Kerala, has launched a powerful legal challenge against the National Testing Agency (NTA) after being forced to climb stairs in her wheelchair for two exams in one month. Despite disclosing her disability during registration, she was assigned inaccessible second-floor centers, highlighting systemic failures in exam accommodations for persons with disabilities (PwD). This case underscores broader issues of non-compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, in Kerala’s education sector.
The Ordeal Unfolds in Kozhikode
Aryananda, hailing from Oliprakadav near Calicut University, first faced the barrier on December 13, 2025, during the NTA Swayam exam at Apollo Gold Building in Vadakara 75 km from her home. With no lift or ramp available, her father carried her up a narrow staircase, an exhausting and undignified experience despite her prior accommodation request. Just weeks later, on January 2, 2026, history repeated during the UGC NET exam at Mudra Institute in Kuttikattur, again on the second floor without accessibility features. Aryananda filed a complaint immediately after the first incident, yet NTA repeated the error, pushing her “to physical and mental limits,” as she described.This pattern of neglect echoes long-standing complaints from her undergraduate days, where similar discrimination went unaddressed.
Legal Action and Powerful Hearing
Refusing to accept defeat, Aryananda escalated the matter by filing with the Central Disability Commission, Prime Minister’s Office, National Human Rights Commission, and Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu. On January 15, 2026 Thursday Commissioner S Govindaraj held a hearing, summoning and reprimanding NTA officials. NTA defended by claiming students should pre-inspect centers, but Govindaraj dismissed this outright, mandating every district have at least one fully accessible PwD center on the ground floor. He directed NTA to issue a compliance order within 30 days, terming the lapses a “blatant violation” of RPWD Act, 2016, which undermines dignity. Aryananda views this not as a minor oversight but a direct assault on her rights under Section 45 of RPWD Act, requiring barrier-free public buildings even private exam venues must prioritize accessibility.
RPWD Act Violations Exposed
The RPWD Act, 2016, enacted to align with UN conventions, mandates inclusive education, reasonable accommodations, and accessible infrastructure like ramps, lifts, wide corridors, and ground-floor seating for exams. Government guidelines, including 2025 Revised Comprehensive Guidelines by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, enforce ground-floor PwD centers, staff training, scribes, and 20+ minutes compensatory time per hour yet NTA’s allocation ignores these. Kerala’s context amplifies urgency: as a progressive state, it contrasts with Kozhikode’s recent Sahamitra initiative for disability-friendly districts, making NTA’s failures stark.
Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2026/01/16/disabled-student-exam-accessibility.html