Latest news with #Awaaz
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Inclusive classrooms on the rise in Chennai colleges
Saravanan Umapathy will open a new chapter in his career on July 21 when classes begin at Dhanraj Baid Jain College in Thoraipakkam. The 23-year-old special needs student is on the spectrum and non-verbal but exhibits strengths in visual thinking and processing that led his mother to enrol him for a course in (Visual Communication). 'I know my son will face challenges with social interaction and communication, but he will not disappoint in academics, and I want him to surmount those barriers,' says S. Kamala, adding that Saravanan communicates by writing or typing on the Awaaz app. Brought up in Abu Dubai, where he completed his studies in a mainstream school, Saravanan did not take the help of a shadow teacher and is good in sports as well. Over the last one year he was pursuing a data entry course at NIEPMD from where he also picked up Tamil and the confidence to apply for higher studies. 'He is currently getting trained to cycle on Chennai's busy road, so that he can get to college from his home in Pallikaranai,' says a determined Kamala. Many city colleges in Chennai are taking baby steps towards making their classrooms inclusive, a mandate under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. In the last academic year, Welfare of the Differently-Abled Persons Department issued a circular to 19 universities in Tamil Nadu reminding them that they have to reserve five per cent of the seats in higher education for persons with benchmark disabilities. As per data from National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD), 18 of their students with intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, special learning disability and multiple disabilities enrolled in various city colleges in the academic year 2024-25 for higher education. These include courses in hotel management, arts and science and polytechnic. 'Our programmes offered here act as a bridge to integrate those with special needs into higher education,' says K. Balabaskar, lecturer-AIL, NIEPMD. He says the Institute has an exclusive coordinator, R. Dhakshnamoorthy, to support parents to select the right institute and courses. Higher education plays a transformative role in the lives of persons with disabilities, which contributes to their personal growth, employability and social inclusion. 'Although some city colleges have exclusive batches for PwD or inclusive classrooms, it is the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 that mandates a 4% reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities in direct recruitment to government jobs, that has come as a big encouragement for parents to find appropriate career courses in higher education institutions,' says Balabaskar. Parents have to do their homework about institutions and career paths that best suit their child. B. Sumathy, whose son S. Muralidhar is pursuing his second year of (visual communication) from A.M. Jain College in Meenambakkam, says many parents of children with special needs do not make an effort to place their ward in a mainstream college fearing the environment. Or, they think of distance education. She herself was planning to enrol Muralidhar in a course through distance education as it is difficult for him to sit in one place for long. 'When I enquired with Madras University they recommended courses in literature and economics, which I was not keen on as my son would not be able to study theory-related subjects,' says Sumathy. They were discouraged from taking courses that involved lab activity. 'I was told programming would be difficult for him, so I enrolled him in a data entry course in NIEPMD that went on for close to a year,' she says. That brought about a huge change in Muralidhar. 'He started getting more disciplined and his time management skills improved, and this gave me the confidence that he can move to an inclusive setup,' says the resident of East Tambaram. The parents are happy as the college has a supportive environment with a dedicated room where parents can wait, notes are sent on WhatApp and Muralidhar has made many friends. Orienting staff and students To create and maintain inclusive classrooms, colleges are getting their faculty trained to understand the unique needs of students, getting permission from the University to exempt special students from writing language papers and finding scribes if needed. At Agurchand Manmull Jain College, every special need student is attached to a mentor who understands his/her unique needs based on the training they are given to handle such students. 'This academic year, we have five new special needs students on the campus, a slight increase from last year where we had four,' says M. M. Ramya, dean, A.M. Jain College. While most of the infrastructure needs for an inclusive campus are largely met, the college management has been taking up steps to meet other requirements. 'We have a lounge where parents of special needs students can wait while their children attend classes. It is like a crèche; sometimes children want to meet their parents, and on an average five-six parents avail it,' says Ramya. Getting peer support is one challenge and to address this concern this year students were oriented about their specially abled classmates. 'This has to be a continuous process,' says Ramya adding that they recommend students joining courses in visual communication and interior design as they are more hands-on. A programme based on credits The third batch of the programme in Diploma in Office Automation and Assistive Technology (DOAAT) for persons with multiple and neurodevelopmental disabilities will start soon. Initiated by the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD), under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with Bharathidasan University's Centre for Differently Abled Persons, this is a first-of-its-kind credit-based inclusive higher education programme, says a note. The course is structured over two semesters and focuses on digital literacy, office automation, and assistive technologies. It offers a practice-based curriculum aligned with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 and the National Education Policy. It also strengthens employment opportunities through the 4% PwD reservation policy, including 1% for persons with intellectual and multiple disabilities. Ten students are inducted per batch. For details, call R. Dhakshnamoorthy, vocational instructor / coordinator - Higher Education for PwDs (8124862799)/ K. Balabaskar, lecturer-AIL, NIEPMD, Chennai (9382934157); Email Id:
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Assigned govt land: Man seeks justice
Nandyal: Kadiri Ramanna Manohar Goud, a resident of Giddalur village under Sanjamala mandal, has alleged that he was denied rightful ownership of assigned government land despite official approval in 2007. Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday, Goud said as per records, 7 acres and 65 cents of land in Survey No. 132/2B was proposed for allotment to him during the Assignment Committee meeting in 2007. Though the proposal was accepted and listed in the fourth position, the land was never allotted to him. Goud has accused then VRO Prasad, now serving as Revenue Inspector in Uyyalawada, of deliberately blocking the allotment and illegally facilitating the land to his relatives instead. Following years of appeals, Goud filed a complaint under the Right to Information Act, which confirmed that the land had indeed been approved for him. The MRO also forwarded the case to the RDO for action. However, no progress has been made so far. Ramanna Manohar Goud, now mentally distressed and physically unwell, claims he has been forced to stop eating due to the emotional toll. He continues to live in poverty, dependent on a government pension, and has pleaded with the authorities to grant him the land that is rightfully his. In support of Goud, Awaaz district secretary Mastan Vali has made a formal appeal to Minister for Roads and Buildings, BC Janardhan Reddy, urging the government to take immediate corrective action. Vali stated that if justice is not delivered, they are prepared to launch an indefinite protest at the District Collectorate. He emphasised that despite changes in political leadership and administrative officers, justice has been consistently denied, and demanded that the government rectify the long-standing injustice without further delay.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
BJP Distrusts the Constitution, Promoting Manusmriti Agenda': Subhashini Ali at Awaaz State Conference
Gadwal: Former MP Subhashini Ali strongly criticized the BJP, stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has no faith in the Indian Constitution, and that is why it is showing negligence in implementing it. Speaking as the chief guest at a mass public meeting organized by Awaaz on the occasion of its 3rd State Conference in the district headquarters, she participated in a rally that began at Mecca Masjid and passed through the town before culminating at Theru Grounds under the chairmanship of Atikur Rehman. In her speech, Subhashini Ali alleged that BJP is attempting to replace the Constitution with Manusmriti, a regressive ancient Hindu text that denies rights to women. She condemned the CAA and NRC laws, stating they have violated the rights of minorities, which led many veiled Muslim women to take to the streets in protest. She emphasized that minorities don't need a certificate of patriotism from anyone, as the Indian Constitution, framed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, guarantees equal rights to all citizens. Women are making strides in all fields, she said, yet the BJP continues to deny their rights. She warned that if democratic rights are taken away, people will rebel. Ali questioned BJP's slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,' demanding answers for the atrocities committed against women in states ruled by the BJP like UP, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. She denounced the increased hunger, poverty, and unemployment in Uttar Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath, claiming that religion is being misused to divert attention from real issues. She accused PM Modi of favoring corporate giants like Ambani and Adani, handing them control over the country's natural resources, while the working class—farmers and laborers—are being exploited. The BJP, she said, is fueling communal hatred to distract from its economic exploitation. Ali strongly criticized attempts to abolish the Constitution and impose communal and caste-based (Manuvadi) ideologies. She said that Manusmriti denies women rights from birth to death and that no one should stay silent when constitutional rights are violated, urging people to unite and resist. She accused RSS, the ideological parent of BJP, of inserting religious content into scientific education and eroding secular values. She condemned the destruction of Nehru and Ambedkar statues in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, questioning how the BJP, which did not participate in the freedom struggle, has the moral authority to speak on the Constitution. Ali urged Dalits, Adivasis, BCs, and minorities to understand that violence is being selectively inflicted on minorities, and that BJP is trying to politically benefit by dividing communities based on caste and religion. She criticized the filing of false sedition cases against innocent Muslims and the closure of 5,000 minority schools after BJP came to power. She warned that if SC/ST/BC/Minority unity is achieved, BJP cannot succeed in its plans to change the Constitution, and hence, it is intentionally sowing communal discord. She reminded BJP leaders of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's words that governments cannot function without minority support. Comparing the Congress Emergency to the present, she said BJP is doing worse by dividing society along religious lines. Challenging the BJP, she asked, 'We minorities are standing courageously to defend secularism. Do you have the same courage?' She concluded that despite facing injustice, minorities work with national devotion for India's development Other Key Speakers: Abbas (Awaaz State President): Claimed that minorities are backward in education, economy, and politics, and welfare schemes are not reaching them. All parties use minorities as vote banks. He demanded reservations for minorities, as per the Constitution, and sought bank-link-free loans for minority youth from the Minority Corporation and protection of Waqf Board properties. Riyaz (Chairman, Telangana Library Council): Called the Awaaz conference a key initiative to protect secular values and promote unity among people. Sarithamma (Congress In-charge): Reiterated Congress' support for Muslim minority reservations and said the party is striving to provide educational, employment, and political opportunities based on population proportion. Other Participants: Nili Srinivas (District Library Chairman), MD Jabbar (State Vice-President), A. Venkataswamy (CPM), Advocate Madhusudhan Babu, Nagar Doddi Venkataramulu (All-Party Leader), Tahir (Red Cross Society Vice President), Ishaq Iqbal Pasha (Former Councillor), Sunkara Prabhakar, Kurva Pallayya, Ganjipeta Raju, VV Narasimha (CITU), Narmada (Women's Union), and various social and political activists participated. Subhashini Ali Slams BJP's Disregard for Constitution at Awaaz State Conference in Telangana Jogulamba Gadwal, July 13, 2025 In a powerful address at the 3rd State Conference of Awaaz, veteran communist leader and former MP Subhashini Ali accused the BJP of systematically undermining the Indian Constitution, alleging an agenda to replace it with Manusmriti, a controversial ancient Hindu text known for its anti-women and casteist views. Speaking in front of hundreds of activists at a public meeting held at Theru Grounds, Ali said the BJP's policies—ranging from CAA-NRC to school closures—are harming minorities, particularly Muslims, Dalits, and Adivasis. She cited widespread economic distress, rising unemployment, and alleged that the Modi government is facilitating crony capitalism while suppressing the rights of marginalized communities. Calling upon the marginalized groups to unite, she declared: 'If democratic rights are snatched, the people will rise up. We must resist these attacks on our Constitution.' The event was not only a political critique but also a call for organized resistance. Speakers from Congress, CPM, and civil society joined in condemning the central government's treatment of minorities and demanded increased reservations, better access to education, and protection of Waqf assets. Key Themes of the Conference: Constitution vs. Communalism: Repeated assertions that the BJP is undermining the Constitution in favor of religious extremism. Economic Inequality: Accusations that the BJP is enriching corporates while suppressing laborers and farmers. Minority Rights: Strong advocacy for educational and political empowerment of minorities. Call for Unity: A consistent message to unite SC, ST, BC, and minority communities against divisive politics. The event was both a political challenge to BJP and a mobilization effort for democratic and secular resistance. With participants from various backgrounds, it served as a platform to reignite grassroots activism in Telangana against what they see as a growing threat to India's constitutional democracy.
