Lok Sabha Question No. 4034 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Education and Rehabilitation Services for Persons with Disabilities
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, Shri Yogender Chandolia, Shri Parbhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava, Shri Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao, Shri Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Shri Vijay Kumar Dubey

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-4034

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 17/03/2026

## EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

## 4034 SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA:

SMT. APARAJITA SARANGI:

SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI:

SHRI CHAVDA VINOD LAKHAMSHI:

SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN:

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY:

SHRI MADHAVANENI RAGHUNANDAN RAO:

SHRI PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA:

DR. SANJAY JAISWAL:

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

- (a)  whether  special  education  and  rehabilitation  services  are  being  provided  to  the  visually impaired  and  hearing  impaired  persons  through  the  National  Institutes  established  under  the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD);
- (b) if so, the steps taken for the expansion or upgradation of the said services;
- (c)  whether  similar  specialized  services  are  also  being  provided  through  dedicated  National Institutes for other major categories of disabilities, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the total number of beneficiaries receiving education and rehabilitation services through the said National Institutes at present, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF  STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI  B.L. VERMA)

- (a) & (b):       National Institutes (NIs) under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) provide special education, vocational training, skill development, early identification  and  intervention,  therapeutic  and  rehabilitation  services,  audiology  and  speech therapy,  Braille  literacy,  assistive  device  support  services  to  persons  with  visual  and  hearing disabilities. These services are provided through institutions such as National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), Dehradun, the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities (Divyangjan) [AYJNISHD(D)], Mumbai and  the  National  Institute  for  the  Empowerment  of  Persons  with  Multiple  Disabilities (Divyangjan) [NIEPMD (D)], Chennai.

The  Government  has  undertaken  various  measures  for  expansion,  upgradation  of  services, including strengthening infrastructure, establishing Regional Chapters and Composite Regional Centres,  offering  new  skill  training  programmes,  adopting  modern  assistive  technologies, digitization of learning materials, and expanding outreach programmes for early detection and intervention. These initiatives include establishment of smart classes, development of accessible digital learning resources, integration of AI-based assistive technologies, strengthening  of  assistive  technology  laboratories,  and  promotion  of  ICT-based  accessible services to support inclusive education and rehabilitation.

Two (02) new National Institutes have been established during last ten (10) years, increasing the total  number  of  National  Institutes  to  nine.  The  numbers  of  Composite  Regional  Centres,  an extended arm of the National Institutes which provide education and rehabilitation services to all types of disabilities have also been increased from eight (08) to thirty (30) during the last ten (10) years.

( c)  &  (d):  Specialized  education  and  rehabilitation  services  are  provided  through  the  other National Institutes, under the Department catering to various categories of disabilities. National Institutes & their Composite Regional Centres, all taking together, have been geared to cater to all twenty one (21) Notified Disabilities. These other National Institutes include:

(i)          National  Institute  for  the  Empowerment  of  Persons  with  Intellectual  Disabilities (NIEPID), Secunderabad - providing services related to intellectual disabilities including special education, early intervention, skill training and rehabilitation.

(ii)        Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi - to develop, promote and standardize Indian Sign Language (ISL).

(iii)       National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities (NILD), Divyangjan, Kolkata - providing services  relating  to  locomotor  disabilities  including  orthopaedic  rehabilitation,  physiotherapy, prosthetics and orthotics training.

(iv) National Institute of Mental  Health Rehabilitation  (NIMHR),  Sehore-  providing multidisciplinary mental health rehabilitation services.

(v) Swami  Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR), Cuttack - providing rehabilitation services, training and research in the field of locomotor disabilities and blood disorders.

(vi)        Pt.  Deendayal  Upadhyaya  National  Institute  for  Persons  with  Physical  Disabilities (PDUNIPPD), New Delhi - providing rehabilitation, therapy, training and assistive technology services for persons with physical disabilities.

These  National  Institutes  also  provide  other  services  such  as  special  education,  skill  training, therapeutic interventions, early intervention programmes, production and distribution of assistive devices, and  training of rehabilitation professionals in their areas. A total of  12,65,764 beneficiaries have been provided with rehabilitation services by all National Institutes under the Department during current financial year (till date). The Institute-wise details of student intake for courses conducted and the rehabilitation services provided are given at Annexure.

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## Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4034 raised by Shri Yogender Chandolia, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, Shri  Chavda  Vinod  Lakhamshi,  Shri  Ravindra  Shukla  Alias  Ravi  Kishan,  Shri  Vijay Kumar Dubey, Shri Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao, Shri Parbhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava and Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal regarding 'Education and Rehabilitation Services for Persons with Disabilities'

Institute-wise details of student intake for courses conducted by the National Institutes and the rehabilitation services provided by them during the year 2025-26 (as on date):

| S.No.   | Name NIs                                                                                                 |   Number students intake | of Rehabilitation Services provided   |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 1.      | National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), Dehradun,           |                      776 | 110777                                |
| 2.      | Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities (AYJNISHD), Mumbai,                 |                      763 | 116698                                |
| 3.      | National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), Secunderabad  |                     1076 | 227910                                |
| 4.      | National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD), Chennai               |                      301 | 235329                                |
| 5.      | Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities (PDUNIPPD) , New Delhi |                      258 | 79375                                 |
| 6.      | Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR), Cuttak           |                      391 | 443385                                |
| 7.      | National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities (NILD), Kolkata                                            |                      191 | 45891                                 |
| 8.      | Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi                                      |                      146 | *                                     |
| 9.      | National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR), Sehore                                       |                      187 | 6399                                  |
|         | Total                                                                                                    |                     4089 | 1265764                               |

*ISLTRC does not provide rehabilitation services

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