With the world gearing up to celebrate the World Organ Donation Day on Tuesday, Punjab has something to add to the cheer. The state’s health and family welfare department has recorded an increase of almost 19% in eye donations, data on its website shows.

The department collected over 1,517 corneas in 2018-19 (April 1 to March 31); in 2017-18, the number was 1,274, which was just 1.3% increase over the 2016-17 figure of 1,257. Ludhiana recorded the highest corneal donations at 382, followed by Amritsar (267) and Jalandhar (173). 

The Special Educators Forum-India has demanded a separate education policy for children and people with disabilities on the grounds that the new draft National Education Policy fails to address the needs of the community.

Slamming the draft National Education Policy (NEP) for failing to address the needs of children with disabilities, the Special Educators’ Form – India (SEFI) has asked the Centre to frame a separate policy for the community.

Sumedha Sharma

Working with an automobile giant, 36-year-old Haruto from Japan and his nine-year-old daughter Sakura were excited about living in Gurugram for six months.  Having heard so much about cosmopolitan city Gurugram and its infrastructural development from his friends, Haruto was sure that it would be best suited to get her daughter a slice of Indian life. Two weeks in the city and Sakura was on her flight back home to Kyoto.

पांच साल पहले घर से भागकर दिल्ली आए दृष्टिहीन मुन्ना शाह ने दिल्ली पैराओलंपिक तैराकी स्पर्धा में दो स्वर्ण और एक रजत पदक झटका। बिहार के छपरा से दिल्ली पहुंचे मुन्ना की स्वर्णिम सफलता के पीछे कड़ी मेहनत और लगन शामिल है। तैराकी प्रतियोगिता दिल्ली के रोहिणी में 4 अगस्त को समाप्त हुई। वह कबड्डी के भी बेहतर खिलाड़ी हैं। राष्ट्रीय प्रतियोगिता में इस खेल का प्रतिनिधित्व कर चुके हैं। 

India is home to world’s largest visually impaired population numbering over 50 lakh people According to the 2011 census, the country also tops the chart for the corneal blind in the world. This is a long way from ensuring an inclusive society for visually challenged citizens as taboos continue to exist around organ donation and corrective surgeries are still a far-fetched reality. However, a few individuals, organisations, NGOs and voluntary groups are leading the way in setting standards for their inclusion.