NIEPID and Jai Vakeel Foundation Partner to Launch Uniform Curriculum for Children with Intellectual Disabilities (CwID).

In July 2025, the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Divyangjan) (NIEPID), under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MSJE), signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Jai Vakeel Foundation (JVF) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This collaboration aims to introduce a standardized and structured education model for Children with Intellectual Disabilities (CwID) nationwide.

      - The MoU was signed in the presence of Rajesh Agarwal, Secretary of DEPwD (MSJE), and forms part of the rollout of the "DISHA Abhiyan"—a curriculum and implementation framework developed by Jai Vakeel Foundation. This model has been endorsed by NIEPID and is designed to bring consistency and quality to the education of CwIDs across schools and learning centres in India.

      - The NIEPID DISHA Curriculum, now officially adopted, is a multi-layered educational model that includes a research-backed multisensory curriculum, a digital platform, and an educator training framework. Certified by NIEPID in 2019, the framework integrates an Assessment Checklist for Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), providing customized learning pathways based on each child’s developmental needs.

      - This collaboration brings together NIEPID’s technical and research expertise with the field-based implementation strengths of Jai Vakeel Foundation. Together, they aim to create a scalable and uniform curriculum model that is tailored specifically to address the unique learning needs of CwIDs in both urban and rural settings across India.

Main Point :-   (i) Under this partnership, critical resources developed by JVF—including the NIEPID DISHA Assessment Checklist, the Multisensory Curriculum, the NIEPID DISHA Digital Portal, and a structured Teacher Training Program—will be made available to special schools, inclusive education centres, and rehabilitation organizations throughout the country.

      (ii) The initiative supports India’s commitment to inclusive education and aligns with global frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, it furthers SDG 4 (Quality Education) by ensuring accessible learning tools, and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by promoting equity for children with intellectual disabilities in the national education system.

(iii) The DISHA Abhiyan initiative will not only improve the quality and uniformity of CwID education but also build a national network of trained educators, digitized lesson delivery, and consistent assessment tools. It represents a forward step in integrating inclusive education with national policy frameworks under MSJE and marks a shift toward evidence-based interventions in the special education sector.
About National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID)