“Inspection of the ‘Top Advisory Committee’ Completed at Bhoj Open University”

CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The “Top Advisory Committee” of the “Rehabilitation Council of India” concluded its visit to Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University today. On this occasion, a grand event was organized on the university campus. The event was presided over by Sharanjit Kaur of the Rehabilitation Council of India. Other committee members included Vikas Trivedi, Member Secretary of RCI, Shalini Singh, Prof. Neeru Rathi, and Sandeep Razak, Commissioner of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Madhya Pradesh.

In his welcome address, Hemant Keshwal, Head of the Special Education Department at Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, stated that the B.Ed Special Education program started in 2000 and has been running continuously for the past 25 years, with approximately 15,000 alumni. He mentioned plans to introduce research-based courses and an M.Ed program in special education, emphasizing the importance of maintaining quality in education.

Anita Kaushal, Director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell at Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, gave a presentation on the university’s objectives, academic programs, achievements, methodologies, and infrastructure.

Sharanjit Kaur, Chairperson of the committee and the Rehabilitation Council of India, shared her thoughts, highlighting the importance of passion among officials and employees for institutional progress. She noted that the goals of Bhoj Open University and the Rehabilitation Council of India are aligned. Kaur emphasized the challenge of identifying the number of disabled individuals in the country, which is crucial for determining the future need for special educators and psychologists. She advocated for state surveys to identify disabled children and suggested that doctors screen for disabilities when issuing birth certificates, with health departments taking responsibility for these screenings.

Sandeep Razak, Commissioner for Disabilities of the Madhya Pradesh government, expressed his commitment to fulfilling the council chairperson’s vision. He mentioned the creation of disability cards through special camps in every district of Madhya Pradesh and stressed the need for a special educator in every school. He suggested restarting the foundation course at Bhoj University.

Sanjay Tiwari, Vice-Chancellor of Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, remarked that disabled individuals are overcoming mental and physical barriers and deserve equal treatment and respect, not sympathy. He noted that over 45% of disabled children are uneducated and highlighted the passage of special laws for disabled individuals. Dr. Tiwari affirmed that the B.Ed Special Education program would once again become a flagship course for the university.