A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on September 26, 2008 by the Embassy of India, Kathmandu with Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) for providing grant assistance of NRs.10.26 million to NNJS for holding mobile screening camps in schools in various districts of Nepal during the year 2008-09 under its School Eye Health Care Programme under the India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme.

NNJS is an apex voluntary organization, recognized by Government of Nepal as a National Society for Comprehensive Eye Care having 12 eye hospitals, 42 eye care centres, 250 community based organizations, and 5,000 local volunteers under its umbrella across various districts of Nepal. Since 2001, Government of India has been providing assistance to NNJS for eye care programme in Nepal through country-wide free of cost eye-camps organized as part of the India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme. Under the programme over 59,000 people have so far been cured of cataract and trachoma and optical devises have been distributed to 8,800 school children with total Indian assistance of NRs.125 million.

About 6.6 lakh children in Nepal are visually impaired requiring some degree of optical correction. A follow up study conducted by NNJS revealed that almost 72% of the vision impaired children are not using appropriate correction glasses due to cost involvement and their inaccessibility in the remote areas.

Under the MoU, Government of India will provide fresh assistance of NRs.10.26 million to NNJS to cover full cost of distributing free of cost, optical dispensing devices to 9,000 vision impaired children and low vision devices to 300 children through the mobile screening camps during the year 2008-09.

India's assistance to NNJS is part of more than 290 large and small development projects currently being implemented under India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme in the sectors of education, Health, community development and infrastructure covering all districts of Nepal with an outlay of over NRs.23 billions.