The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), NCERT, organized a Special Five-Day Live Programme on Indian Sign Language (ISL) from 15th to 19th September 2025. The programme was held to mark the International Day of Sign Languages, which is observed every year on 23rd September. It was broadcast through PM eVIDYA ISL Channel No. 31 and NCERT’s official YouTube channels.

The programme aimed to spread awareness about the importance of Indian Sign Language as a medium for communication and learning, especially for children with hearing impairments. It also emphasized the role of ISL in promoting inclusive and equitable education, as highlighted in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-4: Quality Education).

The programme featured five live interactive sessions broadcasted daily from 12:40 PM to 1:40 PM across multiple platforms, including PM eVIDYA DTH ISL Channel No. 31, YouTube channels ncert events  https://www.youtube.com/@ncertevents.157/streams and NCERT official http://youtube.com/ncertofficial. These sessions advocated ISL as a vital tool for the inclusion of learners with hearing impairments in mainstream schools and were accessible to all viewers across India.

Over five days, live interactive sessions were held daily from 12:40 PM to 1:40 PM. These sessions focused on the use of ISL as a pathways for inclusion, ISL in classrooms & pedagogy practices, inclusion through sports in ISL, expression through ISL for inclusive practices, and the experiences of the Deaf community. A special feature of the programme was that on Day 4 and Day 5, sessions were led mainly by deaf experts, giving direct voice to the community. To ensure accessibility, professional ISL interpreters were present throughout the programme.

Experts from premier institutions and organizations contributed to the sessions, including Ms A Srija, Economic Adviser, DoSEL, MoE; Dr. Sharanjeet Kaur, Chairperson, RCI; Prof. Bharti Kaushik, CIET, NCERT; Shri Kumar Raju, Director, ISLRTC; Prof. Ajish K. Abraham, AIISH; Dr. Varsha Gathoo, AYJNISHD; Dr. Andesha Mangla, ISLRTC; Mr. Lalit Kumar, Deaf Javelin Thrower, All India Sports Council of the Deaf; Ms. Versha Gulia, Deaf Shotput player;  Mr. G. V. Reddy, Deaf Football Player,  National Association of the Deaf; Mr. Vishwajit Nair, ISLRTC; Ms. Manu Bhardwaj, Deaf Karate player, and Ms. Ramandeep Kaur, Deaf Dancer.

Recordings of all sessions have been made available online for wider access. For those who could not attend the live sessions can access the recording through the link: Watch Recorded Sessions Here

Through this initiative, the Ministry of Education and NCERT reaffirm their commitment to promoting Indian Sign Language and ensuring that every learner, including children with hearing impairments, has equal opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed for Viksit Bharat.

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MV/AK

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