Bhubaneswar: Social Security and Empowerment of PwDs (SSEPD) Department of the Odisha government on Tuesday signed two memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with an aim for inclusive growth of students with disabilities.
Minister, School and Mass Education, ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare, SSEPD Nityananda Gond was present in the signing ceremony.
The SSEPD Department has roped in Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), Kolkata and Skill Council for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) for skill development of students with disabilities and to prepare them with employability.
SCPD will provide skill training for one year to students with disabilities in different trades such as fashion designing, automotive, hotel management, tourism and hospitality, security services, hospital services and other private jobs.
Director Niyati Patnaik, Addl. Secretaries S K Pradhan and D Routray of SSEPD Department, Rabindra Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Salini Khanna, Chair Person were signatories in the MoU.
Similarly, another MoU was signed with C-DAC to provide computer education for visually challenged students.
About 500 students and teachers will be trained in 1.5 years during the first phase. They will be imparted various basic computing knowledge. CDAC will provide Digital voice recorders, Desktop, Laptop with required software to empower the students in computer knowledge.
Ritesh Mukharjee, Scientist (F), Associate Director, Kunal Chandra, Scientist (E) Joint Director and Soma Khan, Scientist (E) Joint Director were signatories on behalf of C-DAC in the MoU.
Principal Secretary of SSEPD Department Bishnupada Sethi who was present during the MoU signing ceremony said that State Government is taking various initiatives to ensure learning and skill training for the disabled population of Odisha.
