RBI reaches Blind School with financial literacy programme

GANGTOK, 29 June: Reserve Bank of India’s Gangtok office reached out to the visually impaired children in Namchi and organized a Financial Literacy Programme in Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Institute (JNMI) for the benefit of the blind children in Boomtar, Namchi (South Sikkim) on 27 June.

The programme was part of the Institute’s 135th Birth Anniversary Celebration of Helen Adams Keller, who was deaf and blind but overcame all her handicaps by sheer grit and determination and contributed immensely towards society and humanity at large, informs a press release.

Shanta Pradhan [ex-Secretary, Agriculture Department, Govt of Sikkim] was the chief guest on the occasion. RBI, Gangtok DGM, Anil Kumar Yadav along with his colleagues DP Lepcha and Tenzing Namgyal conducted the financial awareness programme for the blind children of the Institute. Senior officers from Sikkim Govt., teachers, social workers and the children of JNMIH were also present during the programme.

Mr. Yadav while addressing the visually impaired children motivated them by citing the achievements of many famous blind men and women such as Helen Keller, Stevie Wonder, Galileo Galilee, Louis Braille, Sur Das etc. He stated that these children are equally capable of achieving their dreams. He also highlighted the concern of the RBI towards these children.

He further informed the gathering about the RBI guidelines towards setting up of Talking ATMs with Braille enabled Keypad by the commercial banks for the visually challenged population. He said that as per the RBI directives one-third of new ATMs being set up by the banks should be “Talking ATMs”, the release mentions. He said that all the banking services available to normal persons are equally available to the blind people also without any discrimination.

Mr. Yadav also informed the school children and the teachers about the different intaglio symbols which have been incorporated by the RBI on the currency notes so as to help the blind people in identifying the various denominations of the notes from Rs. 20 onwards till Rs. 1,000.

He further advised State Bank of India and Central Bank of India branches located in Namchi to organize an accounting opening camp in the Institute to enable the students and the teachers in opening their bank accounts. RBI, DGM further cited that nowadays there are plenty of job opportunities in the banking sector even for the blind candidates, as the recruitments are conducted using Braille system.

RBI, Gangtok also donated RBI Comics in Braille, especially prepared for the blind children, to Mr Jiwan Rai, Head Master of the Institute along with one Braille Typewriter and two Hollow-Body Guitars for the benefit of the Institute and the children. The chief guest and the school authorities thanked the RBI for contributing towards this noble cause, it is added.