Lok Sabha Question No. 1248 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-03
Subject: Visually Impaired Persons
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Jugal Kishore

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARED QUESTION NO -1248

ANSWERED ON 03/12/2024

## VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS

## 1248. SHRI JUGAL KISHORE

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

(a)  whether  any  notable  work  is  being  done  in  the  field  of  education,  rehabilitation  and  skill development of visually impaired boys and girls in the national institutions under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in the country;

- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  the  details  of  the  activities  being  carried  out  by  the  Ministry  in  the  field  of  welfare  and education of the visually impaired persons?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI B.L. VERMA)

(a) & (b) There are ten National Institutes (NIs) working under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) (Divyangjan) specializing in different kinds of disabilities. The  main  objectives  of  these  Institutes  are  to  train  rehabilitation  personnel  in  the  field  of disabilities,  to  provide  rehabilitation  services  to  Persons  with  Disabilities  and  to  undertake Research and Development.

National  Institute  for  the  Empowerment  of  Persons  with  Visual  Disabilities  (NIEPVD), Dehradun  is  working  in  the  field  of  visual  disability  for  education,  training,  rehabilitation  & empowerment of persons with visual impairment. The facility provided  by the NIEPVD is  as follows:-

- (i) NIEPVD Model School is imparting education (CBSE affiliated) to 248 students with visual impairment  from  class  nursery  to  class  12 th and  provides  free  boarding,  lodging,  uniforms, library facilities, medical, assistive devices, accessible materials and scribe support for exam.
- (ii)  The  Model  School's  BalVatika  are  designed  to  provide  foundational  learning  for  young children, preparing them for formal schooling in class 1.

(iii)  Provides  vocational  &  skill  development  training  programmes  to  persons  with  visual impairment  in  different  trades  i.e.  Computer  Operator  and  Programming  Assistant,  Braille Stenographer and Secretarial Assistance (English & Hindi), Assistive Technologies, Data Entry Operator,  Radio  Jockey  (RJ),  Music,  Coping  Skills  for  Adjustment  at  work  &  Social  Life, Gardener  and  Reflexology  in  order  to  enhance  their  skills,  foster  independence,  and  create employment opportunities for them.

(iv) Offers a range of Human Resource Development Special Education Programs recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).

(v) Institute is also implementing the Braille Press Project as a Nodal Agency.  Under the project, 25 Braille Presses were established across the country to ensure the timely availability of reading materials for school and university students, including Talking Books, E-Pubs/Digital Books and Large Print Books.

(vi)  Hosting  a  National  Accessible  Library  to  provide  learning  materials  in  various  accessible formats Braille large print, audio and E-Pub to the students.

(vii)    NIEPVD  received  CBSE  accreditation  to  conduct  Mathematics  and  Science  classes  for visually impaired students of classes XI and XII and also started two new science laboratories equipped with accessible technologies and tools.

(c) Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), financial assistance is provided to the voluntary  organizations  for  running  Special  Schools  for  the  children  with  visual  disability (including  deaf  blindness)  with  option  for  Home  Based  Rehabilitation  and  Community-Based Rehabilitation Project and Low Vision Centre Project.

Department  is  implementing  the  scheme  of  'Assistance  to  Persons  with  Disabilities  for Purchase/Fitting  of  Aids  and  Appliances  (ADIP)  under  which  funds  are  released  to  various Implementing  Agencies  to  assist  the  eligible  persons  with  disabilities  including  Visually Impaired in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation by reducing  the  effects  of  disabilities  and  enhancing  their  economic  potential  throughout  the country.    Various  types  of  aids  and  assistive  devices  distributed  to  Persons  with  Visual Impairment  are  Accessible  Smart  Phone,  Smart  Cane,  Low  Visions  Aids,  Teaching  Learning Material (TLM) Kits etc.

To enhance skills of Persons with Disabilities to enable them to have gainful employment and to become self-reliant, productive and contribute members of society and stand up on their own feet, Department  of  Empowerment  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  launched  the  National  Action Plan  for  Skill  Development  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (NAP-SDP)  in  March  2015.  Under NAP-SDP, for imparting skill training to persons with disabilities in the age group of 15 to 59 years including Visually Impaired, boys and girls. Training under the NAP-SDP scheme is being provided  through  various  Government  and  Non-Government  Organizations,  empanelling  as training  partners  (ETPs)  with  the  Department.  These  Government  and  Non-Government Organizations provide skilling across the Country.

Department  has  launched  PM-DAKSH  Portal-DEPwD  on  September  2023  for  effective implementation of National Action Plan for Skill Development of PwDs (NAP-SDP). This portal is a one-stop digital destination for PwDs, who need skilling and employment, and for Training organizations and Employers/job aggregators of PwDs.

Under this portal, there are two modules :-

(i)  Divyangjan Kaushal Vikas:- Skill training is conducted for PwDs through the portal across the country.

(ii) 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 companies as well as PwDs across India.

The NAP-SDP Scheme is demand driven scheme and funds are released to Empanelled training partner based on their proposal.

There  are  21  job  roles  for  Visually  impaired  and  35  job  roles  for  Low  vision  has  been customized by Sector Council for Persons with Disabilities (SCPwD) till date.

Now, 111 PwDs(Low vision and Visually impaired) training is going on through PM-DAKSHDEPwD Portal.

Reimbursement of tuition fees through the National Institutes under the Department for 100% blind students pursuing STEM subjects from Class 9 to Class 12.

The financial assistance  is  limited  to Rs. 1.5  lakh  per  student  per  year or  the actual  tuition fee, whichever is less. The assistance is provided from the National Fund for the PwDs.

Department  is  also  implementing  an  Umbrella  Scheme  titled  'Scholarships  for  Students  with Disabilities (Divyangjan)' which comprises six components viz;

-  Pre-matric (Classes IX & X),
-  Post-matric (Classes XI to Post graduate Degree and Diploma),
-  Top Class Education (Graduate and Post graduate Degree/Diploma in notified institutes of excellence in education),
-  National Overseas Scholarship (Masters Degree/ Ph.D in Foreign Universities),
-  National Fellowship for PwDs (M Phil and Ph.D in Indian Universities),
-  Free Coaching (for competitive exams for group A and B posts and entrance examinations for admission to technical and professional courses).

All  above  schemes  are  Central  Sector  Scheme  and  implemented  PAN  India  basis.  The scholarship amount is released directly to the Students' bank account in DBT mode.

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