National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities Divyangjan Regional Centre, Chennai: Admission, Courses, Fees, Placements

The NIIPVDRC Chennai is one of the specialized Educational institutions the focuses on empowering the Divyangjan that is, persons with visual impairment. This affiliated college was established in the year 1988 at Poonamallee, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Located in a six acres land, the institute has two specialised courses in special education in total it admits 60 students. It is a co-educational school and thus encompasses male and female string students, ensuring that everyone is welcome. Since it was established to offer special education, the institute remains useful to anyone with an interest in caring for or treating visually impaired persons.

The NIIPVDRC possesses several amenities that it says are acutely aimed at helping give the students a good education. A resourceful library acts as an information centre while the physical facilities provide a rich IT atmosphere to the students. To those who are athletic inclined sports centres are found within the school compound. The institute also hosts a separate hostel for boys and girls which offers appropriate hostel facilities to students belonging to distant places. There are laboratories that meet the practical needs of the course, and an auditorium for events such as seminars. For any visiting faculty or family member there is a guest room and a waiting room for them. It also has a health centre where the institute provides first aid services for students’ health.

Analyzing the courses offered academically, the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan) Regional Centre, Chennai offers two comprehensive full time courses. These programmes are particularly developed to offer special education training for teachers of visual impaired students. The institute currently has a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) in Special Education and a Diploma in Education (D.Ed) in Special Education. Each programme has an approved limit of taking 30 students as a cohort leaving 60 seats for the programme every year. The skills and the knowledge acquired in these courses prepare student for effective support and instruction of pupils with visual impairments.

Eligibility criteria for admission into the institute are marks scored in the qualifying examination and/ or entrance tests. Admission requirements for the B.Ed Special Education are determined by the result of the candidate in the qualifying examination entrance test or any other method prescribed by the state government, union territory administration, or the university to which the candidate seeks affiliation. Likewise, for the D.Ed Special Education programme, the admissions shall be made based on written/skill based competitive test in qualifying Examination or any other entrance test as prescribed by the state government /union territory administration.