Har govt to establish college for deaf, mute students

In a bid to provide equal educational opportunity, the Haryana Government has decided to establish a college for deaf and mute students at Karnal at a cost of Rs 20 crore.
"This will be the first such college to be established in north India," Haryana's Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Kumar claimed in an official release issued here today.
Apart from this, the State Institute of Skill Development and Employment Generation will be also be set up under a central scheme to generate employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, he said.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has accorded in-principle approval to this effect, the Minister said.

"The college will be established at Karnal and its construction cost will be equally shared by the Centre and State," Kumar said, adding the Union Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment has given its approval to this effect.
Internship for up to three months will be provided to students and a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,000 will be given to them, he said.

The Minister said a screening committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary of Social Justice and Empowerment Department to review applications from NGOs for operating the college.
Schools for deaf and mute children are being operated by the Haryana Welfare Society for Hearing and Speech Handicapped at Panchkula, Hisar, Raipur Rani, Sonipat and Gurugram, he said.

There are around 3,925 such children in the state, of which 1,865 are hearing and 2,060 are speech impaired, Kumar added.