National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped

The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), formerly the National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped (NIMH), is an autonomous organization functioning under the Indian Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Based in Secunderabad, Hyderabad, it was registered in 1984 and began offering services in 1985, celebrating 25 years of existence in 2009. The organization has three regional centers located at Noida/New Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai, and is currently directed by Maj (Dr) B. V. Ram Kumar. Its objectives include human resources development, research and development, creation of care and rehabilitation models, documentation and dissemination, consultancy services for voluntary organizations, community-based rehabilitation, and extension and outreach programs. The institute is ISO 9001:2000 certified. In 2004, it collaborated with the US-based National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research for an autism workshop and began offering a master's degree program in disability rehabilitation. It has trained 35,000 parents through group training programs and has worked against discrimination of people with disabilities. In 2011, singer Lady Gaga visited the organization to discuss support for disabled children.