Chandigarh: Panjab University will offer free education to students suffering from thalassemia from the next academic session, an official said here on Tuesday.

"The Panjab University senate has already passed the proposal of free education for children suffering from thalassemia. Now we are working out other modalities of this proposal. Hopefully, it would be implemented in all the departments of the university from the next session," Dean Students' Welfare (DSW) Naval Kishore told sources.

He said free education was already being provided to cancer and AIDS patients and seats were also reserved for them in all the teaching and research departments.

"This is our endeavour to carry out our social duty and commitment towards those marginalised sections of the society that are normally ignored by the mainstream," Kishore said.

A Panjab University official, requesting anonymity, told sources that a committee has been formed to look into the matter and provide more facilities like seat reservation to thalassemic students.

"Presently there are over 300 thalassemic children who are undergoing treatment here in Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research. This move of Panjab University will certainly infuse a string of motivation and energy among these young patients," Rohit Ruhella, a social worker here told sources.

The student fraternity of the university, too, is quite happy with the decision.

"These children are also like our own brothers and sisters and we are really glad that our university has taken this step," said Manipal Singh Atwal, a student.

Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease. In thalassemia, the genetic defect results in reduced rate of synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin.

The university authorities had also reserved a seat for single girl child in each department in 2008 to strengthen the status of women in the society.

The Panjab University campus is spread over 550 acres in Sector 14 and 25 of Chandigarh. Over 10,000 students, of which 70 percent are girls, study here in over 60 teaching and research departments. IANS