Prajahitha Foundation, Shankar IAS Academy launch UPSC scheme for PWDs

chennai: prajahitha foundation, in collaboration with shankar ias academy, on thursday announced the launch of “sethu”, claimed to be the country's first integrated upsc civil services examination (cse) coaching programme exclusively for persons with disabilities (pwds).the initiative will be rolled out on august 15 and aims to provide equal opportunities for differently-abled candidates in the civil services, the organisers said in a statement.under the first phase, 30 full scholarships will be offered to eligible candidates from across the country. a scholarship test will be conducted on august 30 at shankar ias academy centres nationwide. over the next four years, a total of 400 scholarships are planned.“for years, the dreams of differently-abled candidates have been hindered not by lack of talent but by barriers. the sethu scheme is designed to remove those barriers physically, technologically and socially,” said suraj santosh kumar, director, prajahitha foundation.inthe first year, the programme will be conducted online and will provide course material in braille, large print, audio and screen-reader compatible formats.according to the organisers, the scheme will also offer assistive technologies, mentoring by serving and retired civil servants, accessible mock tests and facilities such as scribes, extra time and sign language interpretation. the curriculum will comply with the rights of persons with disabilities act, 2016, and the un convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.“the academy was started with the vision of preparing youth for national service. through sethu, we ensure that no disability becomes a barrier for deserving candidates,” said dr. s.d. vaishnavi, director, shankar ias academy.the organisers said the objective of the scheme is to create an inclusive system that enables aspirants to join the indian administrative service and other civil services.contact details: prajahitha foundation - prajaahita.org; shankar ias academy - shankariasacademy.com.