Government Initiatives

Block level skill training camps to be organized

Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary said the State Government would organize block-level camps beginning next month to provide training in various trades to physically challenged persons.

Addressing a seminar on 'Disabled persons: Present status and director', jointly organised by Sense International (India) (SII) and 'Ashadeep', he said the government would soon implement an action plan to provide HRD training to physically challenged persons. SII would seek the cooperation of other NGOs in providing the training to them, said SII director Anil Paul.

Ashok Chakravarty and Sangeeta Agrawal of Indian Council of Rehabilitation suggested launch of new institutions in Bihar for development of physically challenged. Legislators Asha Devi and Damodar Raut, besides senior lawyers Yugal Kishore and Sushil Kumar appealed the rights of such persons. State advisor of Inclusive Education P K Mishra and coordinator Abha Rani said physically challenged should be accommodated in alternative education system.

Source: Camps soon to train physically challenged, The Hindustan Times, 30 December 2007.

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HRD Minister plans to do something!

“A person who cannot see, may at times do much more than a person with correct vision. Such persons only need some outside assistance to bring out their hidden talent,” said Human Resource Development Minister Brishen Patel.

He was speaking at a function organized jointly by Fiorida International School, Mithapur, Patha, and the National Association for the Blind (NAB), Bihar, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Louis Braille.

“Every person in the world, irrespective of his physical attributes, dreams of achieving something special in life. We should help such persons achieve their goals,” Patel said, adding, “Care, however, should be taken not to make such persons dependent on others.” He said the physically challenged persons were the members of our society and we should treat them as our equals. “But we should not treat them with sympathy. Instead, we should bestow our love and affection on them,” he added.

Patel said the Education Department and the Welfare Department would see if they could do something for the visually–impaired. He also presented white cane, Walkman and Braille slate to some students with impaired vision on the occasion.

Source: Help visually–impaired realise their potential. The Hindustan Times, Patna, 7 January 2008.

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HP fills its 3 pc quota

The state government has decided to fill 3 per cent of the posts through the State Administrative Services and Allied Services Examination 2008 from the physically challenged category. The decision had been taken on the pattern of the Central government where 3 per cent of the posts in the All India Services and Central Services were reserved for the physically challenged category.

He said the State Public Service Commission had been urged to make this provision in the recruitment to be conducted through the State Administrative Services Examination–2008.

Source: 3 pc quota for physically challenged, The Tribune, New Delhi, 7 January 2008.

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Samarthya 2008

From specially designed STD Public Call Offices erected on tricycles to retrofitted cars with hand controls, miniature hearing aids to pocket Braille hearing aids to pocket Braille learning devices and joy–stick operated wheel chairs to modern teaching/learning aids, technology and innovation combine together to offer a wide choice in assistive devices is showcased for the disabled at Samarthya 2008, a national exhibition.

A first of its kind in the State, the four–day exhibition also offers medical assessment, counselling and appropriate assistive devices, all free of cost, to disabled all free of cost, to disabled persons under a single roof.

“Technology has brought in so many advances in assistive devices for the disabled and we want to given an exposure to our people. We hope to attract persons with disabilities from all districts. We will bear the travel expenditure of disabled persons coming from other districts,” said Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, who inaugurated the exhibition.

125 stalls: The exhibition hosted by the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD), a unit of the Union Ministry of Society Justice and Empowerment, and the State government, features 125 stalls showcasing special equipment and devices for persons with various kinds of disabilities.

Social Welfare Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna said the State Government had increased the allocation for Handicapped Rehabilitation Department to Rs. 65 crore. It was committed to providing employment opportunities to the disabled. Transport Minister K.N. Nehru said identity cards were issued to 18,200 disabled persons in Tiruchi district since May 2006.

Source: Range of assistive devices for disabled, The Hindu, Chennai, 5 January 2008.

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