Researchers are calling for official recognition of Indian Sign Language (ISL) to address the serious educational crisis facing deaf and hard-of-hearing students in India. A recent study highlights alarming statistics, noting more than 19% of India’s deaf and hard-of-hearing children were out of school as of 2014, demonstrating the urgent need for systemic change.
Conducted by Dr. Abhimanyu Sharma of Cambridge’s Faculty of Modern & Medieval Languages & Linguistics, the study published on March 17, 2025, emphasizes the need for the Indian government to take decisive action to improve educational opportunities for these children. Doctor Sharma contends, “Many thousands of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are missing out on school in India. This has a huge impact on their well-being and life chances.”
The study condemns the widespread practice of "oralism," the belief prevalent among many Indian schools which asserts deaf individuals should communicate primarily through lipreading and speech. Dr. Sharma argues, “One of the main reasons for this very high dropout rate is schools not offering education in sign language.”
Despite some progress, including the establishment of the ISL Research and Training Center by the government in 2015, there remains insufficient support for ISL within schools. Currently, India has only 387 schools dedicated to the education of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, which Dr. Sharma labels as critically inadequate compared to the burgeoning needs of the DHH population.
The latest census figures from 2011 reported around 5 million deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals; nonetheless, the National Association of the Deaf argues the true figure is nearly 18 million, considering the misclassification and undercounting issues due to problematic terminology used during census data collection.
Dr. Sharma points out the significant gap between policy and practice; he notes, “India does not have enough teachers trained to support deaf and hard-of-hearing students.” The study elucidates the necessity for the government to open more educational institutions specially catered for the DHH community, as well as additional higher education options.
The Indian government’s language policy mandates secondary school pupils to learn three languages, which can be particularly challenging for deaf students. Although the 1995 Persons with Disabilities Act permits deaf learners to study only one language, it fails to mention sign language nor does it clarify how education will effectively be realized for these learners, creating additional barriers.
Improvements have begun to surface since the establishment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, which mandates training and employment of sign language-qualified teachers; yet, the realization of these provisions remains lacking. Doctor Sharma advocates for more impactful legislation and insists on routine assessments of policy effectiveness to ascertain the positive inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
Sharma's work also sheds light on the historical perspective concerning legal and educational policies for DHH individuals, detailing how parliamentary discussions related to DHH people have fluctuated significantly—from 17 debates recorded during the 1950s to just seven by the 1990s, before resurgence to 96 debates by the 2010s.
Plainly stated, for ISL to be effectively integrated throughout the educational system, the government needs to acknowledge and implement its recognition as an official language, allowing for greater financial support and resources to reach ISL users. This approach is considered fundamental to improving educational outcomes: “Central and state governments need to open more schools and higher education institutes for deaf and hard-of-hearing students,” Sharma emphasizes.
For the first time, the conversation surrounding Indian Sign Language is positioning it alongside spoken languages rather than relegated to invisibility due to societal stigmas. The researchers are hopeful for collaborative efforts between educators, charities, and policymakers to showcase the tangible benefits of sign language education.
Nonetheless, the call remains urgent as the destiny of millions of young deaf and hard-of-hearing students hangs in the balance. To this end, Dr. Sharma’s recommendations for training interpreter programs, public awareness campaigns to dismantle negative biases, and targeted educational research could collectively pivot India’s approach to DHH education.
These changes are not merely procedural but deeply influential, holding the potential to reshape lives and provide deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals the chance at equitable education and opportunity. Dr. Sharma concludes, “I am positive India can achieve this,” expressing optimism for future reforms.