Jharkhand High Court asks state to fund medical education of differently abled girl

Taking notice of a news article on the plight of a differently abled nineteen-year old, the Jharkhand High Court’s Chief Justice Virender Singh, and S Chandrashekar J. have asked the state government to step in..The article in question, published by the Hindustan Times, highlights the plight of Anima Minz, a nineteen-year-old from Jharkhand’s Latehar district. Ranked eight in the NEET results, Minz got the opportunity to study at the Grant Medical College in Mumbai..However, her family could not afford the costs of sending Minz to Mumbai, nor the sixty-four thousand rupees that the admission would entail..It was this situation in which the High Court chose to intervene. The High Court’s order of August 31 reads,.“It is really a matter of concern, when aspirants like Anima Minz have to surrender their hope for want of finances which their family cannot afford.....…in the meanwhile, we direct the Chief Secretary of the State to arrange for the prerequisite Demand Draft for admission for a sum of Rs.64,000/- or the amount required by the institute on behalf of the girl in favour of the institute from where she has received a call and further direct the Chief Secretary to pay a sum of Rs.50,000/- initially to the father of the girl to meet the ancillary expenses towards education of the girl including purchase of books etc.”.After converting the matter into a suo motu PIL, the court also impleaded the state’s health department, and the welfare department as respondents in the petition. The matter shall now be heard this Wednesday..Read the complete order below.