THE OPEN LETTER PETITION UNDER ARTICLE 32 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

SEEKING ISSUANCE OF A WRIT IN THE NATURE OF MANDAMUS

To
The Hon’ble Chief Justice of India and His Lordships’ Companion Justices
of the Supreme Court of India

MOST RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH:

The humble petition of the Petitioner, Anushka Priyadarshini, most respectfully submits as under:

1. That the Petitioner is a student with benchmark disabilities, belonging to an economically disadvantaged section of society, raised in a single-parent household with her mother as her sole guardian. Owing to the circumstances arising from her disability, the Petitioner completed her senior secondary education through open schooling. Despite fulfilling academic eligibility criteria and demonstrating a consistent and bona fide intent to pursue higher education, the Petitioner has been systematically denied admission by multiple educational institutions solely on the ground of her disability.
2. That the Petitioner’s grievance pertains to the prolonged and unexplained inaction on the part of the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, a statutory authority entrusted with the protection and enforcement of rights of persons with disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
3. That in the year 2024, the Petitioner applied for admission to Miranda House, a constituent college of the University of Delhi. Despite repeated written representations and requests for consideration, no decision was taken by the Principal of the said college. Left with no efficacious alternative remedy, the Petitioner was constrained to approach the Hon’ble Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. The said Court admitted the complaint within two days and issued notices to the Registrar, University of Delhi, and the Principal of the College.
4. That in the year 2025, the Petitioner once again applied for admission to the University of Delhi, including Lady Shri Ram College for Women and the Faculty of Law. Both applications were rejected. Consequently, on 2 October 2025, the Petitioner filed a fresh complaint before the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. However, shockingly, even the question of admissibility of the said complaint has been kept pending indefinitely, without any reasoned order, communication, or timeline.
5. That despite intervention by the concerned Ministry and cognisance taken by the Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, regarding the continued inaction and hardship faced by the Petitioner, the Court of the Chief Commissioner has failed to adjudicate even the preliminary issue of admissibility.
6. That as on 17 January 2025, no effective steps have been taken by the said Court, let alone issuance of notices or progression of the proceedings. The prolonged pendency and administrative silence have rendered the statutory remedy illusory and ineffective.
7. That such unexplained delay in adjudication by a statutory authority, particularly in matters concerning access to education for persons with disabilities, amounts to an arbitrary exercise of power and is violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India, 1950. The right to life under Article 21 includes the right to live with dignity, which necessarily encompasses timely access to education and effective legal remedies.
8. That the continued failure to decide the Petitioner’s complaints has caused severe mental, educational, and constitutional injury, and the denial of timely justice itself constitutes a violation of fundamental rights.

PRAYER

In view of the facts and circumstances stated hereinabove, the Petitioner most humbly prays that this Hon’ble Court may be pleased to:

a) Issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction, directing the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to adjudicate all pending matters filed by the Petitioner relating to denial of admission by the University of Delhi within a reasonable and time-bound period;

b) Pass any other order(s) as this Hon’ble Court may deem fit and proper in the interest of justice, equity, and good conscience.

And for this act of kindness, the Petitioner, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.

Appeal to the Students of Lady Shri Ram College for Women and Miranda House

I humbly request the students of Lady Shri Ram College for Women and Miranda House to kindly sign and share this Petition on humanitarian grounds, in the larger interest of justice, equity, and the rule of law.

This appeal is not made in opposition to any individual or institution, but in the hope that collective student solidarity may assist a fellow student with benchmark disabilities in accessing her constitutionally guaranteed right to education. Your support may help ensure that the concerned authorities and the Hon’ble Court take timely and meaningful cognisance of the issues raised.

I respectfully seek your solidarity so that, upon due adjudication, the concerned Court may deem it appropriate to direct admission of the Petitioner to either of your colleges, in accordance with law and institutional norms.

Your signature and support would stand as an affirmation of human dignity, inclusion, and the rule of law, values that our universities proudly uphold.

With humility and hope,
Anushka Priyadarshini