‘Govt to set up central varsity for Divyang students’
HRD minister assures financial assistance for the university so that a Braille Press can be set up
Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said the government would set up a central university to cater to the interests of speciallyabled students.
“We will try to establish one central university that will not only provide quality higher education, but will also enable divyang students get jobs so that they may contribute to mainstream society,” he said, adding there were very few centres of higher studies for speciallyabled students.
The minister made this announcement while speaking at the third convocation of Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU) here.
He also assured financial assistance for the proposed university so that a Braille Press could be set up for printing books and study material for the benefit of visually impaired students – not only for this university but also for those in other institutions.
Javadekar said the union government was sensitive towards the interest of specially-abled students and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself said that such students be addressed as Divyang. The PM also ordered to set up ramps and elevators in educational institutions so as to make these places barrier-free for special children.
The HRD minister appreciated the inclusive education policy of Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University, where both divyang and other students pursue education under one roof.
“It is not only beneficial for special students, but normal students also get to learn many things from specially-abled students,” he said.
Javadekar was pleased to see that this university had done away with western academic gown for convocation ceremony and replaced it with indigenous attire.
The university’s decision to name its auditorium after former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee was also lauded by the HRD minister.
Governor Ram Naik, on a lighter note, asked the boys to gear up as 28 out of the 53 medals distributed on the occasion were bagged by girl students. UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar also addressed the gathering.
Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University was established by the Viklang Kalyan Vibhaag, UP government through an ordinance dated August 29, 2008. It is the first university of its kind, which also provides accessible and quality higher education to specially-abled students in a completely barrier-free environment.
“We are unique and much different from the others. Our mandate is primarily to serve the differently-abled students for which a horizontal reservation of 50% has been provided in all courses of the university, in addition to the normal reservation policy,” said vice-chancellor NK Rai.
Also present on the occasion were LU vice-chancellor SP Singh, APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University vice-chancellor Vinay Pathak, IIM-Lucknow director Ajit Prasad, Prof Mohd Muzammil, former vice-chancellor of MJP Rohilkhand University (Bareilly) and several other academicians.