Empowering PwDs: Career counselling held in Dimapur

• DIMAPUR — A career counselling and entrepreneurship seminar for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), a pilot project running from December 2024 to November 2025, was held on Friday at Tourist Lodge, Dimapur.

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• The seminar is based on a survey conducted by Prodigals' Home, identifying tailored training needs for Persons with Disabilities."

• Organised by the Prodigals’ Home under the LIC Housing Finance Limited Sarthak (a corporate social responsibility programme), State Commission for Persons with Disabilities and National Career Service Centre for the Differently Abled (NCSCDA) Dimapur, the seminar explored and addressed the employability challenges and the opportunities available for the PwDs in the state.

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• Addressing on PwDs challenges and opportunities, instructor of computer applications at NCSCDA, Lanunungsang shared on the centre’s comprehensive rehabilitation services.

• Highlighting the NCSCDA’s multifaceted approach to disability empowerment, he said the centre is aiming to secure and sustain employment that aligns with individuals' socio-psychological, physical, and educational capabilities.

• The centre offers vocational training, career guidance, and placement support, empowering individuals to set goals and create action plans. Outreach initiatives like job fairs and exhibitions raise awareness and drive opportunities.

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• It also imparts diverse trainings such as commercial/secretarial practice, general mechanics/metal, cutting and tailoring/dress making, knitting and embroidery, hosiery, radio/television/electronics, carpentry, automobile, computer application, hair and skin care, to name a few, Lanunungsang said.

• Urging enrolment in the training programme, he highlighted NCSCDA's holistic mandate, covering education, employment, social security, accessibility, and rehabilitation for disability empowerment.

• The instructor said there are four training centres in Dimapur alone, which according to him, is rare compared to other cities as one city is provided with only one training centre.

• “Last year, NCSCDA was sanctioned INR 35 lakh but we couldn't utilise it because there was no application. No candidates came forward. The fund had to be returned to the sanctioning Ministry,” he said, underscoring a significant gap in awareness and participation and also raising concern over what happens to funds when it is underutilised.

• On challenges of residential facility and transportation faced by PwDs, he suggested directly addressing these issues.

• While updating that the government has allocated 2.5 acre of land at Kushiabill to be utilised as residential facility for trainees, he acknowledged that the distance was not PwD friendly or accessible. This concern, he said, is in the cooling period and once it is finalised, the centre will be set up and assured a time frame of five years.

• Addressing on the key challenges faced by PwDs, Lanunungsang highlighted the persistent discrimination and social stigma in the spheres of employment, education opportunities resulting to social exclusion.

• Expounding on the schemes and opportunities, he informed that the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme, implemented by the Nagaland Social Welfare department, provides a monthly pension of up to INR 500 to individuals with disabilities.

• He also informed on other initiatives, including free travel pass for PwDs by NST (INR 50, renewed every 2 years for INR 20), State Disability Scholarship Scheme by Nagaland Government for students (Class 1-8) with 40%+ disability, and central government's umbrella scheme for students (Class 9-12) with 40%+ disability.

• The other schemes and initiatives are lifetime family pension for orphaned disabled children of government servants, Divyangjan card (an e-ticketing photo ID for PwDs) enabling train travel concessions, CMHIS coverage, District disability rehabilitation centre and Alimco Regional Rehabilitation Centre in Dimapur.

• Further, the central government's National Action Plan for Skill Development of PwDs (NAP-SDP) provides quality vocational training nationwide, empowering PwDs to become self-reliant, productive, and contributing members of society, he added.

• NCSCDA secretarial practise instructor Deep Jyoti Das gave an insight on self-reliance and encouraged the PwDs to venture into agriculture, animal husbandry and allied sectors, leveraging Nagaland's fertile soil, high rainfall, and growing demand for organic produce.

• According to him, the support ecosystems in the state are ITI, DIC, KVK, CSC Academy, NE Agri Expo (annual training fair), backed with financial support from NABARD/NSRLM for SHG-based ventures and Mudra loana, to name a few.