Union Cabinet gives nod to set up India Sign Language Research and Training Centre

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the setting up of Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC).
ISLRTC will be set up as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and initially will be located at the Institute for Physically Handicapped, New Delhi.
It will be established under the aegis of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities which comes under Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

About Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre

• Structure and Composition: At the centre there will be General Council consisting of a President and 12 Members.
• There will be also an Executive Council consisting of a Chairperson and 9 Members.
• Some of these members will be ex-officio and others will be experts from National Level Organizations of the Deaf or Academic Institutions or Universities or and independent experts in Indian Sign Language (ISL).
• Functions: It will seek to provide equal opportunities to hearing impaired persons to fully participate in every sphere of life.
• ISLRTC lead the way in academic development, training and propagation of the ISL. It will also play important role in developing sign language interpreters along with R&D in new technology.

Implication: Setting up ISLRTC will help around 5 million deaf community of the country. It will seek to increase accessibility for the hearing impaired in education, workplace and activities of public life.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2015