Loan scheme for disabled students at IGNOU

IGNOU Friday organised an awareness programme on financial schemes for educational and vocational development of students with disability, said an official statement.

The loan schemes have been initiated by the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and implemented by the National Centre for Disability Studies (NCDS), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

"The corporation has state channelising agencies for providing educational loans and training to disabled people along with a stipend of Rs.1,000 per month," said NHFDC chief manager Anil Kumar.

"We also have a scheme of providing loan to parents' association of mentally retarded people to set up an income-generating activity," added Kumar.

Addressing the programme, IGNOU vice chancellor Mahendra P. Lama said: "Every course material of the university shall soon provide half-page information about scholarships offered by NHFDC for people with disability."

About 1,000-1,500 disabled students are enrolled with IGNOU per year.

IGNOU is the world's largest open university system with a pan-India and international reach with flexible entry qualifications and a wide range of academic programmes at affordable cost.