Stipend for PwDs taking vocational training to be increased

CHENNAI: The All India Council for Technical Education will be enhancing the stipend scheme for vocational training of students with disabilities in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).

Ramesh Unnikrishnan, Advisor, Policy and Academic Planning Bureau of AICTE, in a circular to all the vice-chancellors of universities and principals of all technical colleges, said the AICTE along with the Directorate General of Employment (DGE), Ministry of Labour and Employment is implementing a programme for providing vocational rehabilitation assistance to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

Accordingly, at present, beneficiaries would get Rs 2,500 per month per trainee for a maximum duration of 12 months to PWDS, he said.

He said that the ministry is also proposing to enhance the rate of the stipend paid to persons with disabilities for which a comparative statement of similar stipend being paid, needs to be prepared for further consideration. However, the AICTE did not mention in its circular about the enhancement amount to the students.

The AICTE advisor also requested all the approved HEIs to provide the details of any such existing scheme for PwDs, which was proposed by the State.

He also urged the HEIs to disseminate this information among students, faculty, and staff members, so that, the needy may take benefit from the scheme.

Unnikrishnan also asked the HEIs to create educational resources for visually impaired students in technical institutions and universities.

Stating that differently-abled students with visual impairments require one or more specialised formats, including braille, large print, audio and digital to pursue their study, he said in order to facilitate the education of differently able students all technical institutions are requested to prepare the required resource materials for them.

He also said that the HEIs should encourage book publishers to publish and provide digital versions of textbooks free of cost to your institutions, so that same may be utilised by concerned students and faculty.