~ The university aims to enable equitable access to education for all ~
New Delhi, April 07, 2021: Rishihood University, India’s first impact-oriented university with a mission to enable equitable access to education for all, today announced the launch of Center for the specially-abled. The move falls in line with Rishihood’s vision of creating a social impact ecosystem supported on the pillars of progressive values with a focus on inclusivity.
Rishihood University’s decision to launch Center for the specially-abled is aimed at addressing iniquities by creating a level playing ground for persons with disabilities in India and providing them with improved access to mainstream opportunities. In sync with this mission, the university is consulting with several non-profit organizations in order to improve access to specialised education, conceptualise UG & PG programmes to address the lack of special instructors in the field, with the long term goal of significantly improving representation in mainstream corporations in a mutually beneficial manner.
According to TRRAIN HSBC Disability Employment Report 2019, about half (46%) of the persons with disabilities in India are uneducated, citing the “lack of the right schools, accessibility, unavailability of special instructors, and above all, the unwillingness of parents to invest in their child with a disability” as among the key hurdles. Another report underscores the dismal level (less than 0.5%) of PwD representation in major firms in India.
The university is also committed to bolstering India’s representation at the Paralympics by rolling out a sportsperson-in-residency programme for ambitious sportspersons. As part of this programme, Rishihood University is planning to select and provide the necessary funding and training to 10 students every year.
Speaking on the launch of Centre for the Specially-Abled, Mr. Sahil Aggarwal, CEO & Co-Founder, Rishihood University, said, “At Rishihood University, we are committed to expanding the ambit of education to include people from all walks of life across all socioeconomic, gender, and ability spectrums. I would like to congratulate Mr. Ajay Gupta, the inspiration and primary promoter of the project, whose locomotive determination is crucial to advancing this project towards a successful culmination. He has braved many challenges after a stroke of Polio left him paralysed. Through this project, Mr. Gupta, along with the RU leadership, aims to ensure that no other person in India in a similar position should have to face similar hurdles on their path to achieving personal freedom and a self-determined quality of life, a prerogative enshrined in our Constitution as the right to life for all Indians.”
Mr. Ajay Gupta, Co-Founder, Rishihood University and Founder, Hum Honge Kamyab Foundation, said, “I am pleased to see our project advancing in line with our vision of enabling unbridled access to quality education and standard of living for all. Persons with disabilities have historically been unable to access the quality of life as envisioned by our founding fathers and mothers. In order to realize this vision, both public and private players need to come together to form a dynamic synergy to unlock mass emancipation, especially of the marginalized population across the country that, unfortunately, continue to be in a majority even today. The Center for the Specially-Abled is a step in this direction and I am grateful to my colleagues and partners at the Rishihood University leadership for reciprocating my zeal and determination towards the project with equal vigour.”
Reinforcing its commitment, Rishihood University recently concluded a TEDx event with speaker Kanu Bhai Tailor, a Padma Shri awardee specially-abled social worker from Gujarat, and the founder of the non-governmental organization, Disable Welfare Trust of India.
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
