New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) On the occasion of Braille Day and the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, Delhi Minister for Social Welfare Ravinder Indraj on Sunday honoured talented students at programmes organised at Braille Bhawan, Rohini, and at Seva Kutir, Kingsway Camp — a hostel for visually impaired college-going students.

He paid rich tributes to the immense contribution of Louis Braille towards the empowerment of visually impaired persons across the world.

Appreciating the exceptional talent, confidence and determination of visually impaired children and students, Ravinder Indraj said that a person’s flight is determined not by physical limitations, but by determination and mindset.

The Cabinet Minister said that the performances presented by the children on stage clearly demonstrate that extraordinary achievements can be attained through dedication and practice, even with limited resources.

Addressing the programme at Seva Kutir, Kingsway Camp, the Social Welfare Minister said that inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the approach of moving from “disabled” to “divyang” is being translated into policies.

The Delhi Government is fully committed to making persons with disabilities empowered and self-reliant, he said.

The Minister informed that a scheme providing Rs 6,000 per month has been implemented to support the care of persons with disabilities requiring high levels of support.

He also stated that the Atal Drishti Hostel has been started in Timarpur for visually impaired girl students pursuing college education.

The Cabinet Minister further said that new hostels and assistive devices will continue to be provided for poor, underprivileged and differently-abled students.

He added that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is highly sensitive to the concerns of students and persons with disabilities, and guided by the spirit of “Nar Seva, Narayan Seva”, the government is continuously undertaking public welfare initiatives.

Earlier, at the programme organised by the All-India Confederation of the Blind (AICB) at Braille Bhawan, Rohini, the Cabinet Minister honoured the winners of the Braille Reading/Writing competitions in Hindi and English, as well as the Shri Madan Lal Essay Competition.

Students from 19 schools across 11 states participated in these competitions.

Those present at the event included Jawahar Lal Kaul, General Secretary, AICB; Ramesh Prasad Singh, Executive Member; Anil Kumar Aneja, President; Dinesh Batra; Manjula Rath; Ranju Singh; and Jasmer Singh Pannu.

–IANS

rch/pgh