SOPAN is a non-governmental organization (NGO) set up in 2002 to provide need-based services to children with autism and their families. SOPAN initially started with the mission of empowering persons with autism and their families but expanded its services to include persons and families with other developmental disabilities as there was a strong need for these services. SOPAN was set up in 2002. In the last 20 years, SOPAN has set up several projects and services and has become a reputed agency for service delivery in the disability sector.
Our mission statement is “Empowering persons with autism and developmental disabilities and their families.” We envision ‘To create an inclusive society where persons with autism and developmental disabilities live with dignity.” As an NGO, working for autism and developmental disabilities, SOPAN conducts the following activities.
Location
SOPAN offers services at Jogeshwari East. Enrolment of students with disabilities is from all over K Ward. Teachers and students of Suvidya Center come from all over Maharashtra. SOPAN liaises with Local level Committees and Registered organizations of the National Trust all over Maharashtra. Several meetings are also held in New Delhi by the National Trust which requires SOPAN representatives to attend these meetings.
Program updates
Samarpan Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders: This was our first project. It began in 2003. As part of the same, we provide education, training, and therapeutic services to children and young adults with autism. Samarpan has provided services to more than 1,000 children and their families.
Natwar Nagar Mahanagarpalika Vishesh Shala (Divyang): In 2010, Mahanagarpalika Vishesh Shala (Divyangjan) emerged as SOPAN’s collaborative project with a Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) School run in Public Private Partnership. MCGM provides the space and SOPAN provides free education to the children and adolescents with disabilities from the nearby urban poor pockets of K Ward of Mumbai.
Spandan Community-based Early Intervention Program: A community survey revealed that there was a strong need to start an Early Intervention Program in a community site at Jogeshwari. To answer this need, the Spandan Early Intervention Program was started in 2011. It provides free Early intervention services to children aged below 8 years of age. Right now, the service is offered at a community site at Jogeshwari Vikroli Link Road. Many children have received early intervention and have moved on to mainstream schools. The children who still require specialized services after 8 years of age are absorbed into our other centers.
Sanket ICT Training Program: Sanket was started in 2015 to provide computer and iPad training to young adults with autism and disabilities. This program focuses on skill building and providing livelihood opportunities to our young adults enrolled in the program. Under Sanket, we have also started an 18-month course of AEMP (Ability Enhancement Multimedia Program). It’s a professional training program for people with special needs.
Suvidya Centre for Special Education: Suvidya also started in 2015. Suvidya is a college that is affiliated with the University of Mumbai and recognized under the Rehabilitation Council of India. Suvidya conducts the following courses: B. Ed. in Special Education (Autism) which is a 2-year course; Short term Course in autism (Started in 2007); Continuous Rehabilitation Education (CRE) courses run for in-service teachers; workshops and seminars.
Project SHANAY: SOPAN was allotted land by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) to build an Autism Resource Centre named Shanay, at New Panvel. The center was started in 2021. We have 3 units which are the School and Vocational Unit (SVT), Respite Care Unit (RCU), and Research and Resource Development (RRD).
Saksham Sheltered Employment: Saksham provides sheltered employment for persons with autism and developmental disabilities. It was set up on December 12, 2022. Job work is taken from the community, completed, and given back regularly.
Apart from the above projects, SOPAN conducts a lot of awareness and advocacy campaigns throughout the year to spread awareness about disability and autism. These programs have garnered support from the community.
SOPAN networks with other organizations and schools which provide similar services. SOPAN was the State Nodal Agency Centre (SNAC) of Maharashtra from 2011 to 2017 for 2 terms where SOPAN liaised with all the registered organizations of the National Trust in Maharashtra. SOPAN is now the Local Level Committee (LLC) of Mumbai Suburban appointed by the National Trust. As LLC, SOPAN is responsible for the legal guardianship cases that are presented to the Mumbai suburban committee and enrolment of the Niramaya Insurance Card given out by National Trust to persons with disabilities.
COVID-19 has taught us resilience and the thought that one can work under any circumstances. It has also shown us how strong our parents are and that we can tap into that resource whenever necessary. Several other teaching modalities and avenues have opened during COVID-19. Hence, we still hold webinars and use the online platform for staff meetings and parent meetings from time to time.
Our approach
SOPAN has a staff strength of 65 people (at both centers), which includes special educators, therapists, administrative staff, caregivers, and auxiliary staff. The teachers and therapists are qualified and hold diplomas/degrees in their respective fields and are registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Their experience and knowledge have contributed to the development seen in the children.
In the projects that work with children and young adults with disabilities, SOPAN provides its services through the multi-modal approach. There is a multi-disciplinary team that works with every child. Our protocol of intervention with our students with disabilities is as follows:
Assessment: Initially when the students come for assessment, it is done by a multi-disciplinary team that consists of:
An assessment report is drawn up which helps program planning.
Program Planning: An annual program is planned which has long-term annual goals and short-term goals which are reviewed every 3 months. The program covers all areas like Cognitive skills – academics/pre-academics, motor skills, social skills, behavior skills, language and communication, self-care skills, play skills, etc. The planning of goals is done in collaboration with the parents. An IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan) for early intervention children, an IEP (Individual Education Plan) for children between 6 years to 14 years, and an IVP (Individual Vocational Plan) for older students are planned for the year. Transition plans are planned for students who may move to sheltered workshops or open job placements.
Program Implementation: Implementation is done by a multi-disciplinary team who all work together to maximize the potential of each child. Several methods are used to teach the child holistically to ensure maximum learning. Parents are also trained so that they can carry out the program at home so that learning is continuous. Parent counseling and guidance are given to parents so that they can work on the issues they face and are motivated to accept and work with their child. Several annual events and celebrations are part of program implementation to make students understand the importance of festivals and to increase their self-esteem to perform on several platforms. These include Annual Day, Sports Day, interschool competitions, festival celebrations, and educational outings. Where possible all 4 centers celebrate the events and festivals together.
Allied Therapy: Students who require allied therapies are given the intervention as regularly as required by the therapists. The team works together so that certain therapies can be carried out in class and other environments by other teachers.
Evaluation: At the end of the year, an annual evaluation is done for each child and the report is presented to the parent. This evaluation is the base for next year’s assessment and program planning.
At Suvidya Centre, the B.Ed course follows the University rules of enrolment and study plan. The teacher trainees have 4 semesters, and their curriculum is as per the norms of the University and RCI. The teacher trainees are involved in most of the annual events and celebrations of the 4 centers. They also go to other schools for the practice of teaching and observation.
The CRE programs are held 3 times a year with approval from RCI and this program is open to in-service teachers from mainstream and special schools. These programs also award points to the teachers which are required for their RCI registration.
The short-term course and training programs are well attended by professionals from the sector.
Plan of action
SOPAN’s plans for the next one to three years are as follows:
knowledge sharing;
Wipro Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) entity of Wipro Limited. Going back over two decades, we focus on social initiatives in the domains of Education, Primary Healthcare, Ecology, Disaster Response, and Cities & Public Spaces.
Sachin Bansal heads finance function for Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting in India and South Asia.
He moved to Wipro Consumer Care in 2022 and prior to that was the head of finance of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN). He joined WIN in 2007 and over the last 15 years has essayed several roles including Plant Finance, India Hydraulic Business Finance, Global Operations Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions.
A qualified Chartered Accountant and a Black Belt in Six Sigma, Sachin has led several successful initiatives to streamline and strengthen the Finance function. As part of the leadership team of WIN, he played a pivotal role in driving profitable growth with improved focus on ROCE, Productivity and Cost Optimization.
Isaac George has held several positions at Wipro across Sales & Marketing, Consulting, and IT Operations for over two decades. Since 2014, he has been leading People Function and Employee Relations at Wipro Infrastructure Engineering. Isaac also heads the group’s social initiatives efforts and works towards creating an inclusive environment for Persons with Disabilities.
Samir Gadgil is the Head HR for the Chief Growth Office and all Corporate Functions at Wipro. He is also Wipro Cares’ Pune Location Head.
Previously, Samir has worked as Head – HR for Digital Operations & Platforms and managed multiple initiatives under HR and People Supply Chain Functions, including Talent Acquisition, Talent Transformation, Workforce Management, Facilities & Transport.
A seasoned professional, Samir has also served as the Global Head- Compensation, and Benefits at Wipro and worked with best-in-class Manufacturing, Consulting, Financial, and IT Service Companies in a career spanning over two decades.
Narayan P S is the Global Head of Sustainability and Social Initiatives at Wipro Ltd. He is also the Managing Trustee at Wipro Foundation, the social initiatives arm of Wipro Ltd. He has been instrumental in the creation of Wipro’s sustainability initiative and has stewarded it since its inception in early 2008. Wipro’s sustainability charter is built on the core principle that business and social purpose must reinforce each other in addressing several key challenges around ecology and the environment, education, and communities.
In addition, Narayan is Visiting Faculty at the Azim Premji University where he teaches ‘Ecology and Development’ in the MA ( Development) program. He is also a Visiting Faculty at Xavier School of Sustainability, Xavier University, Bhubaneswar. Narayan also conducts learning sessions regularly on Sustainability at IIM Bangalore and IIM Indore.
Narayan’s interests center around (i) the broad interplay between Ecology, Economics, and Humanities (ii) the role of the business sector as a change agent in sustainable development (iii) Sustainability in Education, and (iv) Sustainable and Inclusive Cities.
Prior to the current role, Narayan was the Global Head of Information Systems for Wipro’s IT business, when he was chosen as one of CIO’s global 25 Ones to Watch.
A graduate in Electrical Engineering with a post-graduation in Management, Narayan has more than twenty-seven years of cross-disciplinary experience in Business Development, Enterprise Systems, and Corporate Sustainability. He is also involved in sustainability advocacy as a member of several industry forums on sustainability. He is currently the Chairman of the CII-GBC Greenco forum for Bangalore.
Vikrant has recently joined to lead the human resources function for Wipro Enterprises which includes Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN) and Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting businesses.
Vikrant comes with 25 years of diverse global leadership experience in Strategic Talent Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Organization Design, Cultural Transformation & Change Management, D&I, and Leadership Coaching & Development across Services, Manufacturing, Retail and Technology industries. Besides Human Resources, Vikrant has also led roles across Finance & Audit.
With a career spanning L&T, GE Healthcare, Nike, Accenture, HCL, and Harman International, Vikrant has a distinguished track record and is an alumnus of the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune.
Aparna C. Iyer is Wipro’s Chief Financial Officer.
Aparna joined Wipro in 2003 and over the years has held several finance roles, including Internal Audit, Business Finance, Finance Planning and Analysis, Corporate Treasury, and Investor Relations (IR).
Most recently, Aparna was Senior Vice President and CFO of Wipro FullStride Cloud, leading finance operations for one Wipro’s fastest growing global business lines.
Prior to taking over as CFO of Wipro FullStride Cloud, Aparna was the Corporate Treasurer and Head of Investor Relations for Wipro Limited. As a part of that role, she was responsible for building and executing forex risk management framework, investment of surplus cash, working capital management, customer credit risk evaluation, driving capital allocation decisions, managing balance sheet exposure as well as investor and analyst relationships.
As the Head of Treasury & IR, Aparna devised Wipro’s forex strategy, aiding the operating margin performance of the company, and driving improved predictability.
Aparna is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and was a gold medalist of the CA 2002 batch.
Saurabh Govil is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Wipro, and a member of the Management Team. He leads all Wipro’s HR functions, including talent acquisition, talent engagement, and learning and development programs.
Saurabh has been a HR practitioner for over two decades, and has worked with organizations like ITC and GE. Since joining Wipro in May, 2009, he has been instrumental in transforming the organization. His work with people, processes, and organizational structure over the last three years has contributed significantly to Wipro’s growth, improving operations and introducing many new initiatives.
Saurabh is an alumnus of XLRI, Jamshedpur where he completed his master’s in human resources. He is on the advisory board of SHRM India. Saurabh has been a regular speaker at NASSCOM’s HR summit. He also contributes to NHRDN’s journal as an author.
Anurag Behar is the Chief Sustainability Officer of Wipro Limited & Vice-Chancellor, Azim Premji University.
Anurag is a member of the Committee that has developed India’s National Education Policy (2019), the first comprehensive education policy for the country, since 1986. He has been deeply engaged with efforts to improve education in India, for the past seventeen years.
He has been a vocal advocate for the critical importance of public systems, in particular the public education system. His many years in business have given him an insider’s view of both the possibilities and limits of markets. For the past few years, he has also been engaged with environmental and ecological issues. He writes widely, including a fortnightly column for the national newspapers Mint & Hindustan, and other publications.
Anurag has earlier played leadership roles in business. As the CEO of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering, he led the business from being No. 20 in the world to being the No. 1 in 5 years. He has also been responsible for many corporate functions for Wipro including Brand, Quality, and Innovation. He continues to provide oversight to the social and ecological initiatives of the Wipro Group, as its Chief Sustainability Officer. He is a member of Wipro’s Group Executive Council.
Anurag has served on various boards including that of Wipro GE Healthcare Ltd, The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences, and of the TERI University. He serves on many government & sector councils, such as MHRD’s EQUIP, the National Mission on Teachers and Teacher Education, the Government of India implementation committee for the Justice Verma Commission, Karnataka Knowledge Commission, and with the CII’s National Climate Change Council.
He has an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur, and a BE in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy. Both institutions have honored him with their Distinguished Alumnus award. He was elected as a ‘Young Global Leader’, by the World Economic Forum in 2008. He enjoys long-distance running.
Narayan P S is the Global Head of Sustainability and Social Initiatives at Wipro Ltd. He is also the Managing Trustee at Wipro Foundation, the social initiatives arm of Wipro Ltd. He has been instrumental in the creation of Wipro’s sustainability initiative and has stewarded it since its inception in early 2008. Wipro’s sustainability charter is built on the core principle that business and social purpose must reinforce each other in addressing several key challenges around ecology and the environment, education, and communities.
In addition, Narayan is Visiting Faculty at the Azim Premji University where he teaches ‘Ecology and Development’ in the MA ( Development) program. He is also a Visiting Faculty at Xavier School of Sustainability, Xavier University, Bhubaneswar. Narayan also conducts learning sessions regularly on Sustainability at IIM Bangalore and IIM Indore.
Narayan’s interests center around (i) the broad interplay between Ecology, Economics, and Humanities (ii) the role of the business sector as a change agent in sustainable development (iii) Sustainability in Education, and (iv) Sustainable and Inclusive Cities.
Prior to the current role, Narayan was the Global Head of Information Systems for Wipro’s IT business, when he was chosen as one of CIO’s global 25 Ones to Watch.
A graduate in Electrical Engineering with a post-graduation in Management, Narayan has more than twenty-seven years of cross-disciplinary experience in Business Development, Enterprise Systems, and Corporate Sustainability. He is also involved in sustainability advocacy as a member of several industry forums on sustainability. He is currently the Chairman of the CII-GBC Greenco forum for Bangalore.
