NCPEDP-Bajaj Finserv Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities

The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) works toward creating a society where people with disabilities are equal members leading dignified lives through economic independence. The organization operates on the fundamental belief that employment, education, accessibility, appropriate legislation, policy, and awareness are interconnected elements essential for empowering persons with disabilities, with youth serving as the driving force behind these initiatives.

NCPEDP recognizes that employment is impossible without education, and neither employment nor education is achievable without accessibility. The organization understands that these elements must be supported by appropriate legislation and policy frameworks, making awareness creation imperative for achieving meaningful change. NCPEDP’s work addresses the stark reality that despite India’s disabled population estimated at seventy to one hundred million persons, only a minuscule percentage participates in mainstream aspects of life including workforce participation and education.

The organization’s approach tackles systemic barriers preventing full inclusion of persons with disabilities. NCPEDP conducts capacity-building workshops for teachers, parents, and students, undertakes research studies, facilitates focused group discussions with stakeholders, and advocates with relevant government bodies. Through its comprehensive programs, NCPEDP addresses discrimination, inaccessible infrastructure and curriculum, lack of reasonable support, inadequately equipped teachers, and poverty—factors contributing to high illiteracy rates and educational dropout among persons with disabilities, working toward a more inclusive and equitable society.

The NCPEDP-Bajaj Finserv Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities represents a partnership initiative specifically designed to provide financial support to one hundred students with disabilities in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra states. This three-year support program aims to help students continue their education and reach employability levels, addressing the critical barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from accessing educational opportunities.

The program distributes support across educational levels with a ratio of 30:30:40 among Secondary Education, Senior Secondary Education, and Higher Education students respectively. Support duration extends from 2022 to 2025, with continuation depending upon scholars’ needs and performance throughout the program period.

Financial assistance covers fees, assistive devices, and transport expenses up to one lakh rupees per student, determined by individual needs and available budget allocations. The program addresses the sobering reality that according to 2011 census data, approximately forty-five percent of India’s disabled population remains illiterate, with exceptionally high dropout rates resulting in only nine percent completing secondary education and merely 62.9 percent of disabled individuals aged three to thirty-five ever attending regular schools.

Beyond direct financial support, the program includes capacity-building workshops for teachers, parents, and students at participating schools and colleges, research studies, focused group discussions with stakeholders, and advocacy efforts with relevant government bodies. NCPEDP operates this scholarship program without charging any fees, ensuring support reaches students facing financial barriers or other obstacles to educational access.