Maharashtra state government expressed its inability to fund and telecast educational videos in sign language for children with disabilities. The state government is required assistance from the Union government under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme; the Bombay High Court recently directed the Centre to inform it about the existing policies for such learning methods.
Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Sharmila U Deshmukh were on September 5 hearing two PIL filed by NGO Anamprem and Dr Kalyani N Mandke, seeking relief for school and college students with disabilities by implementing provisions of the Right to Persons with Disability Act, 2016.
The PILs also sought direction from the authorities to develop new learning methods for children with disabilities through the electronic medium.
They further sought a structured recovery programme for the next three years for both regular and special children who suffered during the pandemic and to collectively decide guidelines for teachers to fill the learning gap. On February 1, the state made a budgetary announcement for the expansion of 12 DTH TV channels.
An affidavit filed by it on February 11 referred to financial difficulties, as expenses for broadcasting on Doordarshan were approximately Rs 4 crore. The affidavit added that no funding was available for this, and it would seek funds from the Centre. Otherwise, funding will be sought from NGOs or Corporate Social Responsibility funds, the state said.
