New Delhi:
The first Indian Open Paralympics Games would be organised in the national capital between May 2-9 this year, Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot today said.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion of launching of the National Action Plan for Skill Training of Persons with Disabilities here, he said that his ministry has taken the initiative to conduct the Games for promoting talents of differently abled community in sports, an official press release said.
Stressing that the Government is committed to holistic empowerment of persons with disabilities Gehlot said that the National Action Plan is a partnership between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability for skilling 2.5 million Person with Disabilities (PwD) over seven years.
In his address Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that skill development is of the highest priority of the Prime Minister as only around 2 per cent of the workforce in India is skilled.
“The Ministry of Skill Development has decided to constitute a separate Sector Skill Council for PwDs to scale up the initiative with Quality Standards as acceptable by industry,” he said, the release stated.
Rudy also announced that the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has decided to contribute Rs. 100 crore to this initiative.
The National Action Plan seeks to provide a synergistic framework for people with disability for improving vocational training and employment opportunities for them with the eventual goal of providing them with livelihoods and independence.
The plan envisages use of Information Technology for content, training delivery and employer connect. The goals of empowering and capacitating PwDs will have substantial gains for the broader economy.
