New Delhi [India], June 18 : In a significant step towards ensuring equitable access to education for disabled children (Divyangjans), a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Institute for Open Schooling (NIOS), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
This MoU will prove to be a milestone in providing equal learning opportunities to disabled children, protecting their rights, ensuring universal participation in education and building an inclusive India, Pradhan asserted.
In a social media post on X, the Union Minister wrote, "The way Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji used the word Divyaangjan and talked about respect and sensitivity towards this section in the society is a source of inspiration for us."
The social media post reads, "Today there is a need to increase more sensitivity and understanding about disability in the society. It is the responsibility of all of us to give a respectable life to disabled children and prepare effective options for their education keeping in mind their needs. It is the responsibility of @EduMinOfIndia and @MSJEGOI to convert this responsibility into a mass movement..."
Pradhan stated that the NCERT and NIOS should make efforts to de-codify and expand the policies related to persons with disabilities with the participation of technology and society.
"@ncert and @niostwit should also make efforts to de-codify and expand the policies related to persons with disabilities with the participation of technology and society. In order to increase the sense of responsibility in society on issues such as equity, accessibility and sensitivity for persons with disabilities, in the coming days, both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment should jointly raise a national debate on implementation in the light of the National Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and the National Education Policy 2020," the post added.
https://x.com/dpradhanbjp/status/1935320058101686302
Pradhan further said, "Inclusive, comprehensive and equitable education is the core spirit of the National Education Policy 2020. Today's MoU between @niostwit, @ncert and @socialpwds is a good effort towards furthering this spirit of the National Education Policy 2020. This MoU will prove to be a milestone in providing equal learning opportunities to disabled children, protecting their rights, ensuring universal participation in education and building an inclusive India."
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, the Union Minister said that the NCERT will prepare the curriculum and text books for disabled children's examinations as per the standards and NIOS will conduct examinations for them.
"Today, two departments of the Government of India, Social Justice and Empowerment and Department of School Education, have jointly launched an important scheme run by Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, which was run informally for the training of disabled children, earlier NGOs used to run it according to their time and efficiency... Taking a step forward, when we have committed in the National Education Policy 2020 that we will provide equality and access to education to all children, the Department of Education-Department of Social Justice, NIOS and NCERT, all three signed an agreement today... NCERT will prepare the curriculum and text books for their (disabled children's) examinations as per the standards and NIOS will conduct examinations for them, which will help in the development of children," he said.