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Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University launches UP’s first Braille library on World Braille Day
The new section houses over 4,000 Braille books covering 54 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, all published by the university’s own Braille press in line with the NEP
On World Braille Day (January 4), Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University inaugurated a Braille Library housing around 4,000 books, becoming Uttar Pradesh’s first state university to have a dedicated library for students with visual impairment.
The Braille library has been set up on the first floor of the Swami Vivekananda Central Library on the campus. “Our library is multi-storeyed, and for the convenience of visually impaired students, we have dedicated an entire floor for around 1,600 students pursuing higher education in various courses,” vice-chancellor Acharya Sanjay Singh said while inaugurating the Braille library section on Sunday.
An official said the new section houses over 4,000 Braille books covering 54 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, all published by the university’s own Braille press in line with the National Education Policy (NEP).
Earlier, the VC paid tribute to Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille script, by garlanding his statue and offering flowers at the university’s Braille press. He then cut the ribbon to officially inaugurate the Braille library section.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Singh stated that the university is striving for high NAAC grading and a strong NIRF ranking, and is actively working toward these goals. He added that academic sessions are being completed on schedule, hostels have been renovated and handed over to students, and further improvements will be made to the academic building’s infrastructure.
Spokesperson and Library In-charge Professor Yashwant Viroday stated that while the library currently holds 4,000 books, the aim is to expand the Braille collection to 10,000 by the end of the year. In addition to academic materials, the Braille section also features novels, plays, and biographies of notable personalities.
Viroday said that visually impaired individuals from outside the university will also be able to study at this library. The university has fixed a membership fee for this. There will be three types of membership (Special, Casual, and Corporate). Different fees have been prescribed for each.
The library will be open to scholars, researchers, academicians, and Lucknow residents with two proofs of residence. Guest lecturers, retired teachers, and university staff can opt for Special Membership ( ₹500 deposit + ₹500 annual fee). Casual Membership ( ₹1,000/year) allows six-month access without book issuance. Corporate Membership ( ₹1,500/year) grants six library tickets for employees of an organization.
Also present on the occasion were Registrar Rohit Singh, Dean Academics Prof VK Singh, chief proctor Prof CK Dixit, deputy registrar Anil Kumar Mishra, dean student welfare Prof Ashutosh Pandey, chief provost Prof Virendra Singh Yadav, Braille Press in-charge Dr Vijay Shankar Sharma, Dr Ranjit Kumar from the Artificial Limbs and Rehabilitation Center, assistant registrar Brijendra Singh, and numerous visually impaired students, teachers, and staff.
