Lok Sabha Question No. 2129 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-20
Subject: Welfare of Deaf and Dumb
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Malook Nagar

## GOVERNEMNT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2129

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2022

## WELFARE OF DEAF AND DUMB

## 2129.  SHRI MALOOK NAGAR:

Will  the  Minister  of  SOCIAL  JUSTICE  AND  EMPOWERMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the details of the schemes available for the welfare of deaf and dumb, boys and girls; and
- (b) the other steps taken by the Government for the welfare of deaf and dumb in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

## (SUSHRI PRATIMA BHOUMIK)

(a) and (b) Relief to the persons with disabilities is a State subject by virtue of entry  '9'  of  the  State  List  of  the  Constitution  of  India.  However,  the  Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments for empowerment of persons with disabilities.

The  Department  of  Empowerment  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (DEPwD), Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  implements  the  following  major schemes  for  welfare  of  the  persons  with  disabilities  including  persons  with hearing impairment:

- (I) The scheme, namely, "Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/Appliances (ADIP)" under which funds are released to various Implementing Agencies for distribution of aids and assistive devices to eligible persons  with  disabilities  throughout  the  country.  Under  the  ADIP  Scheme, there  is  a  provision  for  Cochlear  Implant  Surgery  for  children  with  hearing impairment.
- (II)  The  scheme, namely, "Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)" under  which  grant-in-aid  is  provided  to  Non-Governmental  Organizations (NGOs)  running  projects like Pre-school and  Early Intervention, Special

Schools, Community Based Rehabilitation etc. for the welfare of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), aimed at enabling them to maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric or social functional levels. (III)  The  scheme,  namely,  "Scholarships  for  Students  with  Disabilities"  under which six components of the Scholarship Scheme are Pre-matric (Classes IX & X),  Post-matric  (Classes  XI  to  Post  Graduate  Degree/Diploma),  Top  Class Education (Graduate and Post Graduate Degree/Diploma in notified Institutes of  excellence  in  education),  National  Fellowship  (M.  Phil/Ph.D  in  Indian Universities),  National  Overseas  Scholarship  (Master's  Degree  and  Ph.D  in Foreign Universities) and Free Coaching (for competitive exams for group A, B and  C  posts  and  entrance  examinations  for  admission  to  technical  and professional courses). (IV) The scheme, namely, "National Action Plan (NAP) for Skill Development of Persons  with  Disabilities  (PwDs)'  under  which  skill  training  is  imparted  to persons with disabilities in the age group of 15 to 59 years. (V)  The  scheme, namely "Financial Assistance to the existing deaf colleges in the  country  (Deaf  College  Scheme)"  in  five  regions  of  the  country  envisages financial assistance to colleges affiliated to the UGC approved State/ Central/ UT administered colleges in each of the following five regions of the country: Rural  Development  and  Management  college  for  the  Deaf  in  North  Zone  of India, College for Deaf in West Zone, College for deaf in South Zone, College for Deaf Central Zone, College for Deaf in East Zone. (VI)  In  addition  to  above,  there  are  two  National  Institutes  (NIs)  namely  Ali Yavar Jung National  Institute for Speech & Hearing Disabilities (AYJNISHD), Mumbai and Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi working in the field of hearing and speech disabilities. (VII) Further,  National  Handicapped  Finance  and  Development  Corporation (NHFDC) channelizes concessional loans for the socio-economic empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) including persons with hearing impairment throughout  the  country.  There  are  two  flagship  schemes  of  NHFDC  for channelizing concessional finance through its partner agencies i.e. Divyangjan Swavalamban Yojana (DSY) and Vishesh Microfinance Yojana (VMY).

- ****