Higher Education
University Grants Commission
Introduction The Persons
with Disabilities Act 1995 indicates that disabled persons should
have access to education at all levels. Though service to disabled
children in India is more than 100 years old, the coverage of these
children in the formal school system is not even 5 per cent. The
report of manpower development published by the Rehabilitation Council
of India reveals that more than 1,00,000 teachers will be needed
in the next ten years to cater to the educational needs of disabled
children in schools.
Bachelor's and master's level teacher programmes are needed for
preparing teachers to help disabled children realize the objective
of education for all. The University Grants Commission (UGC) will
support selected university departments and colleges of education
in the country to offer special education, with financial assistance
available under the programme of Integrated Education for Disabled
Children by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government
of India, or within the available resources of the UGC.
The UGC had started the scheme of assistance to universities/colleges
to facilitate Teacher Preparation in Special Education (TEPSE) and
Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs (Differently-abled
Persons) (HEPSN) during the Ninth Five-Year Plan, keeping in view
the need to provide special education programmes as well as infrastructure
to differently-abled persons. The infrastructure needs to be designed
in a manner to enable them to easily access classrooms, laboratories,
toilets, etc.
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Objectives The objectives
of the scheme are as follows:
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To encourage universities/colleges of education in the country
to promote teacher preparation programmes in the field of special
education.
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To provide equal educational opportunities to disabled persons
in higher education institutions.
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To create awareness among the functionaries of higher education
about the specific educational needs of persons with disabilities.
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To equip higher education institutions with the facilities
to provide access to disabled persons.
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To provide appropriate financial assistance to disabled individuals
to increase their sustainability in higher education.
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To explore suitable placement opportunities for educated disabled
graduates in public as well as private sector enterprises.
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To monitor the implementation of all existing and future legislation
and policies pertaining to higher education of persons with
disabilities.
This scheme is aimed particularly at:
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providing assistance to universities/colleges of education
to start teacher preparation courses in special education at
the B.Ed./M.Ed. level; and
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Creating appropriate facilities for persons with special needs
in higher education.
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Eligibility College offering
special education course at B.Ed. and/or M.Ed. level will be given
assistance as per the following conditions.
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The college/university department should have the approval
of the Rehabilitation Council of India for starting the concerned
teacher preparation programme in special education.
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The college should have a model school where disabled children
are admitted. In the absence of its own model school, the college
should produce in writing the acceptance of a special/integrated
school in the vicinity to function as a model school.
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The college should have a minimum of five years of experience
in running B.Ed. level teacher preparation courses.
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The university/college applying for grant for any one of the
activities of the scheme should have enrolled a minimum of 10
disabled persons, including physically handicapped, mentally
retarded and visually impaired in the academic year.
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The university/college should have constituted an expert committee
involving faculty members from the university, experts in the
field and persons with disabilities themselves. The committee
should meet at least once a year to review the activities related
to the concerned scheme(s).
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Institutions applying for the scheme should have been approved
by the UGC under sections 2(f) and 12(B).
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Financial Assistance Financial
assistance to the university departments and colleges of education
will be given by the UGC as per the following norms:
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The institution must have one professor or one reader and two
lecturers to run a B.Ed. course; and one professor, one reader
and three lecturers for an M.Ed. course in special education
in any one of the specific disability areas with a minimum of
20 students and a maximum of 30.
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Assistance from the UGC will be for the Tenth Plan period and
the implementing institute should give an undertaking that it
will continue the course with the assistance of the state government
or generate its own resources to meet the expenditure of the
course after the Plan.
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The implementing institute should also provide extension services
to the special schools and integrated schools to strengthen
the quality of special education in those settings.
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In addition to the salary grant, the UGC will provide a maximum
of Rs.1,00,000/- per year per institute towards purchase of
books, journals, special aids and appliances for its special
education teacher preparation courses.
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A mid-term evaluation may be carried out by the UGC.
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Provision of Facilities This
scheme has three components. They are enumerated as follows:
Establishment of Special Units for Differently-abled Persons
in Universities/Colleges It is a fact that uiversities
and clleges are not fully aware of the needs of differently-abled
persons in higher education. In order to develop awareness in the
higher education system and also to provide necessary guidance and
counselling to differently-abled persons, it is proposed to establish
special units in universities/colleges in the country. The functions
of this unit will be to:
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facilitate admission of persons with disability;
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provide guidance and counselling to differently-abled individuals;
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create awareness about the needs of persons with disabilities,
and other general issues concerning disabilities; and
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assist disabled graduates to gain successful employment in
the public as well as private sector.
The special unit will be coordinated by a faculty member to be
nominated by the head of the institution. He/she will work as honorary
coordinator for which a token honorarium of Rs.3000/- per month
will be paid. There is also a provision for the appointment of one
honorary placement officer for the special unit from amongst the
faculty members of the university, and he/she will be paid a token
honorarium of Rs.2000/- per month.
The coordinator and the placement officer will be assisted by a
team of three student volunteers who will be paid a stipend of Rs.1000/-
each per month. Honorarium for all categories will be paid from
the date of joining. The unit will also have a budgetary provision
of Rs.30,000/- per annum towards programmes, stationery, contingencies,
etc., for efficient and independent functioning in order to achieve
its objectives.The disability unit will also be involved in arranging
awareness programmes on disabilities within the institute and also
in other higher education institutes in their respective states.
A budgetary provision of Rs.20,000/- per unit per year will be made
by the UGC. In addition, the unit will also be responsible
for the following:
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To circulate Government of India and Commission's decisions
and to collect regularly, on an annual basis, information regarding
course-wise admissions of differently-abled candidates in universities
and colleges for different courses, and to take follow-up action,
where required.
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To circulate Government of India and Commission's decisions,
and to collect information with respect to appointments, training
of persons with disabilities in teaching and non-teaching posts
in the universities and colleges, and take follow-up action
where required.
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To collect reports and information regarding Government of
India orders on the various aspects of education, training and
employment of differently-abled persons for evolving new policies
or modifying existing ones.
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To analyse information so collected, under 1 to 3 above, and
prepare reports and digests for onward transmission to the Ministry
of Human Resource Development/UGC and any other authorities
as may be required.
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To deal with representations received from differently-abled
persons regarding their admission, recruitment, promotion and
other similar matters in universities/colleges.
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To function as a unit to redress grievances of differently-abled
students and employees of the institution, and render them necessary
help in solving their academic as well as administrative problems.
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To maintain a register of employment for differently-abled
persons for various posts in the respective universities/colleges.
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Any other work assigned from time to time to promote higher
education among differently-abled persons. i. To do all such
things as may be deemed conducive for the welfare of differently-abled
students, teachers and non-teaching employees.
Providing Access to Persons with Disabilities
It has been felt that persons with disabilities need special arrangements
in the environment for their mobility and independent functioning.
It is also a fact that many institutes have architectural barriers
that disabled persons find difficult for their day-to-day functioning.
The universities and colleges under this scheme are expected to
address this problem according to the Persons with Disabilities
Act 1995, and ensure that all existing structures as well as future
construction projects in their campuses are made disabled friendly.
The institutes should create special facilities such as ramps,
rails and special toilets, and make other necessary changes to suit
the special needs of differently-abled persons. For this purpose,
the UGC will make a one-time grant of up to Rs.5 lakh per university/college.
Providing Special Equipment to Augment Educational Services
for Differently-abled Persons Persons with disabilities
require special aids and appliances for their daily functioning.
These aids are available via various schemes of the Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment. There may also be a need for special
types of expensive equipment, which may need to be acquired by the
institutes.
Availability of devices such as low-vision aids, scanners, mobility
devices, etc. in the institutes would enrich the educational experiences
of persons with disabilities. Therefore, universities/colleges are
encouraged to procure such devices. The UGC will provide an ad hoc
one-time grant of up to Rs.3.0 lakh per university/college during
the Tenth Plan period.
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How to Apply for the Schemes
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Application for specific projects should be sent in the prescribed
proforma in triplicate (Proforma A for TEPSE and Proforma B
for HEPSN)
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Each proposal should have been scrutinised and recommended
by the expert committee to be formed by the implementing institutions.
Procedures of Processing the Application and
Monitoring
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The proposals received from the university departments and
colleges will be placed before an expert committee constituted
by the UGC for this purpose. Once the proposal is approved,
the UGC will release funds as per the following criteria. For
projects that are of recurring nature, the UGC will release
funds for one year. The grant for second year will be released
only after receiving a utilisation certificate along with an
audited statement of accounts and progress report of the project.
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For projects that are of non-recurring nature, 50 per cent
of the total amount allocated will be released at the time of
approval of the proposal. Subsequently, 40 per cent will be
released on receipt of: i. progress report; and ii. statement
of expenditure and un-audited utilisation certificate. The balance
of 10 per cent will be released on receipt of an audited utilisation
certificate. 3. A mid-term evaluation may be carried out by
the UGC.
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Performa for Application
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Proforma for Financial Assistance under the scheme to assist
universities/colleges to facilitate Teacher Preparation in Special
Education (TEPSE)
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Proforma for Financial Assistance under the scheme to assist
universities/colleges to facilitate Higher Education for Persons
with Special Needs (Differently-abled Persons) (HEPSN)
Proforma for Financial Assistance under the Scheme
to assist universities/colleges to facilitate Teacher Preparation
in Special Education (TEPSE) Proforma of the proposal to
be sent to the
University Grants Commission,
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi 110 002,
for financial assistance under the scheme to assist universities/colleges
to facilitate Teacher Preparation in Special Education (TEPSE)
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Name and address of university/college:
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Year of establishment
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Does the institute come under sections 2(f) and 12(B) of the
UGC Act?
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Teacher preparation courses currently offered by the institute:
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Special education courses, if any, offered by the institute:
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Is the institute recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of
India to offer special education courses?
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Name of the course for which assistance from the UGC is sought:
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How many students will be admitted to the course?
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What will be the requirement of staff for running the new course?
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Does the college provide any extension services to disabled
individuals or schools or both?
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Existing faculty of the institute
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Brief history of the institute:
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List of the managing committee members of the institute:
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Annual expenditure of the course (recurring and non-recurring):
Date
Signature of Head of Institute (with seal)
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Proforma for Financial Assistance under the Scheme
to assist Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs (HEPSN)
Proforma of the proposal to be sent to the
University Grants Commission,
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi 110 002,
for financial assistance under the scheme to assist universities/colleges
to facilitate Teacher Preparation in Special Education (TEPSE)
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Name and address of university/college:
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Year of establishment:
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Nature of services currently offered by the university/college
for the welfare of disabled persons:
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How many disabled persons are currently enrolled in the university/college?
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Name of the scheme for which assistance from the UGC is sought:
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How the scheme will be implemented?
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What will be the requirement of full-time and part-time staff
for running the scheme?
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Existing faculty of the department that will undertake the
scheme:
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Brief history of the university/college, with constitution:
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Annual expenditure of the scheme (recurring and non-recurring):
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Any other relevant information supporting the proposal:
Date
Signature of Authorised
Signatory of University (with)
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Facilities & Benefits
