Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Divyanga University, also known as Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University, is a state public university located in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is one of the few universities in the world established exclusively for the higher education of persons with disabilities (divyangjan), admitting students with visual, hearing, speech, and orthopaedic impairments.
| Name | Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Divyanga University |
|---|---|
| Type | State public university |
| Location | Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Founder | Jagadguru Rambhadracharya |
| Focus | Higher education for persons with disabilities |
| Country | India |
The university was founded by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, a Hindu spiritual leader, Sanskrit scholar, poet, and educator who is himself visually impaired. The institution was conceived as a dedicated space where students with disabilities could pursue degree-level education in an accessible environment, with admission restricted to candidates certified as divyang.
It is situated in Chitrakoot, a town in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh closely associated with the legend of Rama's exile in the Ramayana. The same area hosts other educational and religious institutions linked with Rambhadracharya, including the Tulsi Peeth.
The university offers programmes across several faculties, including arts, education, social sciences, fine arts, and Sanskrit and Indic studies, along with vocational and computer-related courses. Teaching and examinations are designed to be accessible, with the use of Braille materials, sign language, and assistive technology where required.
Special attention is given to disciplines in which students with disabilities have traditionally excelled, such as music, Sanskrit grammar, philosophy, and literature.
The university is regarded as a notable institutional experiment in inclusive higher education in India. By limiting enrolment to persons with disabilities, it seeks to ensure that infrastructure, pedagogy, and support services are oriented entirely around their needs, rather than treating accessibility as an add-on within a general university.