BHUBANESWAR: India’s first international university for the blind will come up in Odisha, providing education and technical courses, officials said on Thursday.
India has over 50 lakh blind people and Odisha is home to over 5.21 lakh, including 2 lakh young population. “We need a comprehensive and exclusive university for them to cater to their education and training needs,” said Sannyashai Behera, a blind deputy secretary of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department.
Named after Bhima Bhoi, a blind poet and 19th century social reformer, the university will have a centre of excellence on technology, besides schools for higher education.
A delegation from Japan’s University of Tsukuba, a famous special school for the blind, met SSEPD officials on Thursday. “We will soon send a proposal to CM Mohan Charan Majhi for approval. The Japan delegation will also meet him on Friday,” said Behera.
The plan includes accessible residential facilities with an advanced digital lab on the varsity campus.
SSEPD principal secretary Bishnupada Sethi said, “We are planning to set up a campus to provide education to students from Class IX onwards from India and abroad. We will provide vocational courses like acupuncture and physiotherapy, besides policy research.”
India has over 50 lakh blind people and Odisha is home to over 5.21 lakh, including 2 lakh young population. “We need a comprehensive and exclusive university for them to cater to their education and training needs,” said Sannyashai Behera, a blind deputy secretary of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department.
Named after Bhima Bhoi, a blind poet and 19th century social reformer, the university will have a centre of excellence on technology, besides schools for higher education.
A delegation from Japan’s University of Tsukuba, a famous special school for the blind, met SSEPD officials on Thursday. “We will soon send a proposal to CM Mohan Charan Majhi for approval. The Japan delegation will also meet him on Friday,” said Behera.
The plan includes accessible residential facilities with an advanced digital lab on the varsity campus.
SSEPD principal secretary Bishnupada Sethi said, “We are planning to set up a campus to provide education to students from Class IX onwards from India and abroad. We will provide vocational courses like acupuncture and physiotherapy, besides policy research.”