SSEPD dept inks pact to strengthen PwIDs

Bhubaneswar: Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID) to strengthen early identification, education, capacity building, and community awareness for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PwIDs) across the state.

The MoU was signed with an objective to establish a structured collaboration for implementing NIEPID-developed curriculum frameworks in special schools operating under the Grant-in-Aid fold of the SSEPD department.

The partnership aims to enhance the quality of educational and developmental services for children with intellectual disabilities through expert support, training, and continuous monitoring.

Under the MoU, both institutions will work jointly in areas including early identification and intervention, capacity building of special educators, caregivers and frontline workers, curriculum implementation, research, documentation, and community awareness to promote inclusion and reduce stigma.

As part of the collaboration, training programmes, development of resource materials, digital learning content, and expert monitoring will be undertaken.

Joint research initiatives and publication of best practices and policy briefs are also envisaged.

A Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) comprising representatives from SSEPD and NIEPID will be constituted to review progress, monitor outcomes and guide implementation.

The MoU will remain in force for a period of three years, from January 16, 2026, to January 15, 2029, and may be extended upon mutual consent.

This strategic partnership marks a significant step towards strengthening inclusive education and empowerment initiatives for persons with intellectual disabilities in Odisha, in alignment with the state government’s commitment to social inclusion and equitable development.

During the signing ceremony, Additional Secretary Bhaskar Raito and SSEPD deputy secretaries Sannyasi Kumar Behera and Basanta Kumar Behera, along with NIEPID representative Ganesh Shergar, were present on the occasion.

;