Centre plans university for disabled students

In a move aimed at achieving the targets set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to empower divyang students, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has planned to set up a central university for students with a disability.

Announcing the development, Javadekar said, "We will try to establish one central university that will not only cater quality higher education but will also facilitate divyang students to get jobs so that they may contribute to the mainstream society."

The HRD Minister further said that the Central government is sensitive towards the interest of disabled students and the Prime Minister has said that such students should be addressed as divyang. "The PM has also ordered to set up ramps and elevators in educational institutions so to make it barrier-free for disabled children. Also Accessible India campaign was launched by the Prime Minister to create disable-friendly atmosphere across the country," Javadekar said while addressing the third convocation of Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University in Lucknow on Monday.

Javadekar also appreciated the inclusive education policy followed by Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University where both disabled and normal students study 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.

The HRD Minister said that he was pleased to see that the university has done away with the western academic gown and has replaced it with indigenous attire for convocation. The university's decision to name its auditorium after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also lauded by the HRD minister.