https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Man Behind Bachpan School For Autistic Kids

Indian Masterminds Stories

Very often we come across people who require special aids and support to lead as normal a life as possible. They are the differently abled who need just a little help and consideration from all us – the people and the government – to allow them to live their life with ease and dignity. 

Many from among us have risen to the occasion and have gone out of their way to do their bit for these special people. Retired IAS officer Rohit Nandan is one of them. He is a strong advocate for the rights of the specially abled, a pioneer in taking steps in that regard. 

A 1982-batch IAS officer of UP cadre, Mr. Nandan served in several important positions during his service, including as CMD of Air-India and Secretary, Skill Development, UP. 

During an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds, he recalled his experiences from that time, especially his stint as the Secretary, Department of Disability Welfare, a posting still close to his heart. 

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 

Mr. Nandan remained as the Secretary, Department of Disability Welfare for about four years. Recalling that period, he said: “At that time, this posting was considered to be a punishment posting. The department was limited to providing pensions and scholarships, but I wanted to take it forward.” 

He especially recounted two incidents that pushed him towards taking special interest in that department. Firstly, his mother was on wheelchair due to health issues. Secondly, one of his colleagues, who was at that time posted as the principal chief staff of the Chief Secretary, broke her legs. 

“She called me up and told me that she is not able to enter the CS office as the carpet is too thick for the wheel chair. I realized that people see disability as somebody else’s problem but it can be anybody’s. Anyone can have a leg fracture or eyes and ears can get weakened with age. So, the issues of the differently-abled should be taken seriously.”

After this, he launched a state-wide awareness campaign and he himself went from place to place to convey his thoughts among different sections of people and created awareness about the issue.

COLLECTIVE SURGERY & BACHPAN SCHOOL

He also started collective surgery for the first time ever. Almost 6000 operations of children below six years suffering from polio were carried out. “Many came crawling to the place for surgery and went back walking. I can’t explain how much gratifying that was!” he said. 

He is also the man behind the Bachpan school, created especially for autistic children. During his stint, four schools in Lucknow, Noida, Varanasi and Allahabad were started. Today, there are 18 schools in all the divisions and within a year, all districts will have it, all thanks to the person who started it. 

He is 1982 batch IAS officer and UP cadre

Talking about it, he said, “I met many parents with children with autism or other mental illness. It was really disheartening to see them suffer. We tried to mainstream those children in normal schools but they used to struggle there. Main reason was that those children started school late and their disability became a hurdle in competing with other children. This would create a lot of psychological impact on the children as well as the parents. So, for their pre-schooling, we set up the Bachpan play school.” 

BARRIER FREE LUCKNOW 

This was another major achievement for Mr. Nandan, for which, he didn’t use any government funds but motivated various associations to come forward to help. With such help, this public campaign was used to make ramps in markets and, also, enroll many shopkeepers to construct ramps at their shop’s entrance. 

Besides this, his team convinced the government to legislate that no public building can be constructed in UP without a certificate from the architect that it is barrier free. Because of this, most malls and public offices in UP have all the features of a barrier free building. 

As the Secretary of Disability Welfare, Mr. Nandan made a huge difference with his disabled-friendly initiatives, the effects of which can be seen even now. For him, too, it was his “most satisfying assignment as a civil servant”. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
supreme-court-4
SCBA Raises Alarm Over Delhi LG’s Notification Allowing Police to Give Evidence at Police Stations-Know more
justice-photo
UP CM Yogi Adityanath Stresses Accessible, Swift Justice and Announces ₹50 Crore Fund to Strengthen Judiciary- Details Inside
Rampage missile
Indian Defence Gets a Boost as IAF Orders Rampage Missiles Following Operation Sindoor; DRDO Demonstrates Next-Gen UAV-Launched Weaponry
Degree with IAS
Dr. Lankapalli Bullayya College Launches Innovative ‘Degree with IAS’ Programme to Help Students Prepare for Civil Services
bihar
Bihar on Fast Track: PM Modi and CM Nitish Unveil Rs13,000 Cr Mega Development Push in Bodh Gaya- Details Inside
Oil India legal workshop
Oil India (OIL) Conducts Legal Awareness Workshop on Contractual Disputes, Launches Vigilance Campaign
(ACB) Court in Ranchi
Jharkhand Liquor Scam: Retired IAS Officer Amit Prakash, Chhattisgarh Businessman Granted Bail - Know More
Department of Justice India
Change in Justice Ministry: IAS RK Goyal to Retire, Niraj Verma to Assume Charge
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
supreme-court-4
SCBA Raises Alarm Over Delhi LG’s Notification Allowing Police to Give Evidence at Police Stations-Know more
justice-photo
UP CM Yogi Adityanath Stresses Accessible, Swift Justice and Announces ₹50 Crore Fund to Strengthen Judiciary- Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT