India’s education ecosystem is undergoing a pivotal shift toward inclusive learning, with the Union Education Minister highlighting concrete progress in integrating Indian Sign Language (ISL) across school education during his International Day of Sign Languages message on September 22, 2025. The Minister cited the growth of PM eVidya ISL Channel 31 launched in December 2024 which now broadcasts six hours daily to deliver NCERT content in ISL nationwide, and confirmed that NCERT Class 1–5 textbooks are already available as ISL videos via QR codes, with work advancing to cover Classes 6–12 as well. These steps align with the National Education Policy’s emphasis on learning in the most natural language for children and mark a system-level commitment to accessibility for Deaf and hard of hearing learners.
PM eVidya ISL Channel 31: scaling access
The PM eVidya ISL Channel 31 has become a dedicated national pathway for sign language content, expanding from its December 2024 launch to a six-hour daily schedule that brings curriculum-aligned lessons directly to learners’ homes and classrooms. The channel’s growing reach reflected in rising subscribers and viewership helps bridge geographic and resource gaps, especially where interpreter availability is limited. By hosting new academic terms, subject glossaries, and story content in ISL, the channel supports both foundational literacy and subject learning in an accessible format.
NCERT in ISL: QR-linked textbooks
A major accessibility leap is the conversion of NCERT Class 1–5 textbooks into ISL video lessons accessible via QR codes, allowing students and teachers to scan and immediately view concept explanations in sign language. The Minister affirmed that work is underway to extend this pipeline up to Class 12, ensuring continuity through middle and secondary schooling where subject complexity increases and interpreter support is often scarce. This QR-linked design integrates directly with classroom practice and home study, reducing dependence on ad-hoc adaptations and standardizing quality at scale.
Policy alignment with NEP and inclusion goals
Underscoring the National Education Policy’s guidance that children learn best in the language most natural to them, the Minister framed ISL as the primary language for many Deaf learners and a pillar of India’s inclusivity goals[1]. The message connected ISL expansion with the broader national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, urging presence of ISL across schools, universities, and workplaces as both cultural heritage and an enabling tool. This framing elevates ISL from a support service to a core linguistic right, strengthening the educational mandate for resource allocation and teacher capacity building.
Building the ISL knowledge ecosystem
Beyond broadcast and textbooks, the ISL ecosystem is growing through dictionaries, glossaries, and structured learning resources that standardize terminology and pedagogy. The Indian Sign Language Dictionary now spans over 10,000 words, complemented by hundreds of academic videos and more than 2,200 glossary videos across subjects like history, geography, economics, and sociology, alongside over 1,000 instructional videos for ISL learning itself. These resources reduce fragmentation and help teachers, interpreters, and families maintain consistent signs for academic concepts, improving comprehension and classroom continuity.
Early identification and classroom support
In parallel, the PRASHAST app’s disability screening has reached 92 lakh students at first level screening, enabling earlier identification and support pathways within mainstream schooling. Early detection is critical for timely language exposure; pairing screening with ISL-based content ensures that children do not face prolonged language deprivation in foundational years. Together, these tools knit a continuum from identification to accessible instructional delivery, reflecting an integrated approach to inclusive education.
Capacity building and community initiatives
Recent initiatives include national workshops on teaching English to Deaf students through ISL and new ISLRTC courses to scale interpreter and teacher training, expanding the human infrastructure needed for sustained classroom inclusion. ISLRTC has also announced new diploma and postgraduate diploma programs, a six-month online ISL training track, and the release of 3,189 ISL e-content videos the largest repository to date alongside 100 new STEM terms and 18 National Book Trust titles in ISL. These measures strengthen both the supply of qualified professionals and the breadth of subject content available in sign language.
Role models and societal visibility
The Minister’s message highlighted role models such as Sarah Sunny, India’s first Deaf advocate at the Supreme Court, and athlete G. Suresh, signaling how systemic support helps talent flourish across professions and sports. Visibility of Deaf excellence complements policy reform by shifting perceptions and encouraging families and institutions to embrace ISL as a legitimate language of learning and identity. Such narratives reinforce momentum for mainstream adoption of ISL across public platforms and curricula.
What comes next
Scaling ISL up to Class 12 with robust subject glossaries, synchronized textbook-video pipelines, and teacher training will be crucial to sustain learning gains through board years.
Continued content expansion on Channel 31, integration with DIKSHA and classroom QR access, and standardized assessments adapted for ISL users can deepen inclusion across states and boards.
Embedding ISL as a visible presence in schools and universities through coursework, interpreter services, and peer learning will translate policy vision into daily classroom reality for Deaf learners nationwide.
