The Maharashtra government has taken an important step to improve the eye health of school students across the state. The School Education Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to conduct eye screenings for students. Students found to have vision problems and requiring spectacles will be provided with prescription glasses free of cost.
Under the MoU, a special project will be implemented to screen the eyesight of around 20 lakh students studying in Classes 5 to 10 in government schools across Maharashtra. The School Education Department will oversee the project, while Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust will serve as the implementation partner. The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation will provide technical support and will also be responsible for providing free spectacles to eligible students with vision problems.
The agreement will remain in effect for 36 months. During this period, eye screening camps will be organised across the state. The progress of the project will be regularly monitored and evaluated. A progress report will be prepared every three months to review the number of screening camps conducted, students screened, beneficiaries identified and spectacles distributed.
The project will also ensure that information required for students’ eye-health screening is collected scientifically. Provisions relating to the confidentiality of students’ personal information and data protection have also been included in the agreement.
The initiative builds on work carried out since 2019. So far, more than 6.8 lakh students from 800 schools across 18 districts have been screened, with over 63,000 spectacles distributed.
The government said the expanded initiative will help detect eye-related problems among schoolchildren at an early stage and ensure timely treatment. Providing free spectacles to students in need is also expected to support their education and improve their academic performance.