Lok Sabha Question No. 295 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-05
Subject: Schemes for Deaf and Dumb
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Malook Nagar

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

## LOK SABHA

## 295. SHRI MALOOK NAGAR:

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

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

## 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  has enacted  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (RPwD)  Act,  2016,  which  came  into  force  on 19.04.2017. Chapter III of the said Act provides for duties of educational institutions and specific measures  to  promote  and  facilitate  inclusive  education  for  children  with  disabilities.  Further, Section  31  of  the  said  Act  mandates  the  appropriate  Government  to  ensure  that  Persons  with benchmark disabilities (PwBD), i.e. disability of 40% or more, has access to free education in an appropriate environment till he attains the age of 18 years. Section 32 of the said Act provides for reservation of not less than 5% seats in Govt./Govt. aided higher educational institutions for PwBD.

Department  of  School  Education  &  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Education  has  launched  an overarching  programme  for  the  school  education  sector  -  Samagra  Shiksha  Scheme.  Under Samagra  Shiksha,  there  is  a  dedicated  component  for  Inclusive  Education  for  Children  with Special Needs (CwSN), to ensure full equity and inclusion so that all children with special needs are able to fully participate in schools. The scheme aims at education of CwSN in a continuum from pre-school to class XII. The scheme covers all CwSN with one or more disabilities. The Samagra Shiksha Scheme is being implemented through State Governments/ UT Administrations and the Central Government provides necessary financial support for the  Inclusive Education for CwSN component. Various provisions are made available for CwSN such as identification and

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 295

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 05.12.2023

## SCHEMES FOR DEAF AND DUMB

assessment camps (at block level),  student  specific  interventions  @  Rs.3,500/-  per  CwSN per annum  for  support,  such  as  provision  of  aids,  appliances,  assistive  devices,  teaching-learning materials,  Braille  books,  large  print  books,  transportation,  escort,  scribe  allowances  as  well  as home based education for children with severe & multiple disabilities who are unable to attend school. In addition, to encourage girl children with disabilities to attend schools, stipend for girls with special needs @ Rs.200/- per month for 10 months (Rs.2,000/- per annum) through Direct Benefit Transfer is provided. Further, individualized support is also provided through resource centres at block level to cater to the unique learning needs of CwSN.

The  Department  of  Empowerment  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (DEPwD)  has  the following major provisions/schemes to encourage the persons with disabilities including the deaf and dumb students:

(I) The Department is implementing Scheme of '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  including  deaf  and  dumb,  boys  and  girls  throughout  the  country.  Under  the  ADIP Scheme, there is a provision for Cochlear Implant Surgery for children with hearing impairment.

(II) For the welfare of deaf and dumb boys and girls, the scheme namely Financial Assistance to the existing deaf colleges in 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.

(III)  An  umbrella Scheme titled  'Scholarships  for  Students  with  Disabilities  (Divyangjan) (including for deaf and dumb boys and girls) in the country is implemented. The 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  in  Govt.  sector  and  entrance  examinations  for admission to technical and professional courses).

(IV)  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. National Institute  for  empowerment  of  Persons  with  Multiple  Disabilities  (Divynangjan) (NIEPMD) has been set up to fulfill the objective of serving as a national resource centre for empowerment  of  persons  with  Multiple  Disabilities.  25  Composite  Regional  Centres  (CRCs) have been  approved in  various  States/UTs  as  outreach  Centres/extended  arms  of  the  National Institutes under the Department. CRCs provide rehabilitation services to all categories of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), train rehabilitation professionals, workers and functionaries, undertake programmes of education and skill development and create awareness amongst parents and the community regarding needs and rights of PwDs.

(V)  Indian  Sign  Language  Research  and  Training  Centre  (ISLRTC)  is  conducting  a  'Diploma course in Teaching Indian Sign Language' for the deaf students where tuition fees are waived off for  the  deaf  students  registered  with  UDID.  ISLRTC  has  also  brought  out  a  sign  language dictionary of 10,500 words which is facilitating teaching learning process of deaf students and communication of persons with hearing impairment.

(VI) Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) is a Central Sector Scheme in which grant-in-aid is provided to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) running projects like Preschool  and  Early  Intervention,  Special  Schools,  Community  Based  Rehabilitation  etc.  for  the welfare of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) including deaf and dumb students, aimed at enabling them  to  maintain  their  optimal  physical,  sensory,  intellectual,  psychiatric  or  social  functional levels.

(VII) Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) implements 'National Action  Plan  (NAP)  for  Skill  Development  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (PwDs)'  which  was launched  in  March,  2015.   NAP  is  implemented  under  the  umbrella  scheme  -  'Scheme  for Implementation  of  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  Act  2016  (SIPDA)'.  Under  NAP,  for imparting skill training to persons with disabilities in the age group of 15 to 59 years including Hearing & Speech Impairment, boys and girls, fund is released in three installments to training partners empanelled with the Department. Funds are released as per Common Norms Guidelines issued and amended from time to time by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Department recently launched PM-DAKSH-DEPwD Portal.Under this portal, there are two modules :-

(a) Skill Training:- Skill training is conducted for PwDs through the portal across the county.

(b) Divyangjan Rozgar Setu:- The platform aims to act as a bridge between PwDs and employers having jobs for PwDs. The platform provides geo-tagged based information on employment/earning opportunities within private campanies as well as PwDs across India.

(VIII) National  Divyangjan  Finance  and  Development  Corporation  (NDFDC)  channelizes concessional  loans  for  the  socio-economic  empowerment  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (PwDs) including  deaf  and  dumb  persons  throughout  the  country.  There  are  two  flagship  schemes  of NDFDC  for  channeising  concessional  finance  through  its  partner  agencies  i.e.   Divyangjan

Swavalamban  Yojana  (DSY),  which  is  individual  centric  and  Vishesh  Microfinance  Yojana (VMY), which is for Self Help Groups/ Joint liability groups through various partner agencies for the welfare and rehabilitation of PwDs in the country.

Under DSY scheme, loan upto Rs.50 Lakh is provided at concessional rate of interest for income generating activities, pursuing higher education/ vocational/skill training and purchase of assistive devices for PwDs.Further, a loan upto Rs.60,000/- is given to a PwD at reasonable rate of interest for  providing  prompt  and  need based finance for  small/micro  business  and developmental activities under VMY Scheme.To avail the benefits under the aforesaid schemes, the eligibility criteria are as under :

i)  Any  Indian  citizen  with  40%  or  more  disability  (Disability  as  defined  in  PwD  Act, 2016 or its amendments).

ii) Age above 18 years. However, in case of persons with mental retardation, the eligible age would be above 14 years. The age criteria would not be required for educational loans.

iii)  Possession  of  Unique  Disability  ID  (UDID)  Number/UDID Enrollment  Number (in case UDID No. is not available).

NDFDC provides a special rebate of 1% on rate of interest to deaf and dumb divyangjan in self employment  loans  of  upto  Rs  50,000/-  for  encouraging  them  to  take  up  self  employment ventures.  The  rebate  borne  by  NDFDC.  The  education  loan  is  provided  to Student  with Disability at the interest rate of 4% p.a.

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