A centralised, technology-enabled platform called the Scribe Bank was launched on Friday in Kolkata to address the structural gap that often prevents visually impaired students from appearing in examinations due to the unavailability of scribes. The initiative, taken by Save the Quest (STQ) in collaboration with Jadavpur University (JU) and funded by Indian Oil Corporation Limited under its CSR framework, aims to connect students with visual impairment and other disabilities to verified volunteer scribes, covering end-to-end coordination from registration and scribe matching to examination-day support.
Launch Event at Jadavpur University
The launching ceremony was held at Jadavpur University in the presence of Shampa Sengupta, founder of Sruti Disability Centre, Biswajit Ghosh, former principal of Ramkrishna Mission Blind Boys Academy, and university officials, including the vice-chancellor and registrar. JU Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee said, “The Scribe Bank is an important and timely initiative which will be helpful for our visually impaired students.”
Addressing a Long-Standing Crisis
Saif Ahmad Khan, founder of STQ, highlighted the urgency of the initiative: “Every year, many visually impaired students lose academic years, sit outside examination halls, not because they didn’t prepare but because no one showed up to write for them. The law already guarantees this right. The Scribe Bank is how we make sure it is actually delivered reliably, with dignity, at scale to address this long-standing crisis.”
PG student Akash Das, a member of the Forum for Students with Disabilities, expressed cautious optimism: “This is a positive initiative but we will understand its effectiveness once it is rolled out. I feel it will be good for competitive exams rather than university exams.”
Volunteer Incentives and Expansion Plans
Project manager for West Bengal, Dhriti Pal, outlined the volunteer benefits: “Volunteers will receive structured orientation in inclusive examination practices, an honorarium of Rs 400 per completed scribing assignment, a certificate of participation and performance-based letters of recommendation. We are also connecting with other colleges and schools to spread the initiative. Our target is to onboard more than 6000 volunteers to help 3000 beneficiaries.”
Event Highlights
The event included a detailed walkthrough of the Scribe Bank platform, awareness sessions, volunteer onboarding drives, beneficiary interaction segments and a felicitation ceremony honouring contributors to inclusive education initiatives. A student-led awareness theatre, performance by visually impaired students of the university, and direct beneficiary and scribe experience-sharing sessions further highlighted the social and emotional impact of inaccessible examination systems.
