National anthem becomes disabled-friendly

Mumbai's Ali Yavar Jung Institute for Hearing Handicapped today unveiled a special design of the Jana Gana Mana which will enable the deaf to understand and follow the national anthem.

Exactly a century after it was first sung, India's national anthem has now become accessible to the hearing impared.

Mumbai's Ali Yavar Jung Institute for Hearing Handicapped on Tuesday unveiled a special design of the Jana Gana Mana which will enable the deaf to understand and follow the national anthem.

The new design has sign language instructions for the hearing impaired, with captions in English and 14 Indian languages, the institute's director S Rangasayee said.

The institute has also secured certification from the Central Board of Film Certification for the video.

Special schools run for the visually impaired or hearing handicapped and cinemas would be able to screen this version of the national anthem, which is also available on DVD.

The version can also be accessed on YouTube on the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/AYJNIHHNEWS.

Written and composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Jana Gana Mana... was first rendered at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress Dec 27, 1911.

Later, in January 1950, it was official bestowed the status of India's national anthem by the Constituent Assembly.