The Scribe Bank
The Scribe Bank is a centralised digital platform designed to strengthen examination access for students with disabilities who require writing assistance. The platform enables students and eligible volunteer scribes to register, facilitates verification of relevant information, supports requirement-based matching and coordinates examination assistance through a structured process. The initiative seeks to make examination support more accessible, reliable organised and responsive to the individual requirements of candidates.
Request a Scribe
Submit your examination requirements through the Scribe Bank and access coordinated scribe support.
Volunteer as a Scribe
Register as a volunteer and contribute your time and skills towards strengthening examination access for students with disabilities.
Supporting Equitable Access to Examinations
A student's academic opportunity should not be limited by the availability of examination support.
For students with disabilities who require a scribe, the absence of an appropriate and available writer can become a significant barrier to appearing for an examination. Informal, fragmented or last-minute arrangements may create uncertainty and make it difficult for candidates to secure support that meets their examination requirements.
The Scribe Bank was developed to address this gap through a structured, technology-enabled system for examination assistance.
Students can submit their examination requirements through the platform, while eligible volunteers can register to contribute as scribes. The Scribe Bank team reviews the information provided, facilitates requirement-based matching and coordinates the necessary onboarding and examination-day support.
Through this approach, the initiative seeks to strengthen equity, accessibility, predictability and dignity in the examination process.
The platform is accessible through the Scribe Bank website and application.
Built on Our Work Since 2013
The Scribe Bank builds on more than a decade of Save The Quest's experience in education support and disability inclusion, beginning with Eye Quest, one of our earliest initiatives.
Operational since January 2013, Eye Quest engaged volunteers to support students with visual disabilities as scribes and tutors. The initiative included students associated with institutions such as the University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jadavpur University, Chandigarh University and the National Association for the Blind.
Volunteers also supported students with assignments and helped convert study materials into accessible audio formats.
This experience highlighted the need for a more structured, scalable and coordinated mechanism through which students requiring examination assistance could connect with suitable volunteer scribes.
The Scribe Bank builds on this grassroots experience by bringing students, volunteers, verification processes, matching and examination coordination together through a digital platform.
How the Scribe Bank Works
Students requiring examination assistance and eligible volunteers register through the digital platform.
The information submitted is reviewed to understand the student's examination requirements and volunteer eligibility.
Registered volunteers are identified and matched based on the specific requirements of the examination and candidate.
The team facilitates volunteer onboarding, communication and coordination to support the confirmed examination requirement.
Who the Initiative Supports
The Scribe Bank is designed to support eligible candidates with disabilities who require writing assistance during examinations.
This may include candidates who are blind or have low vision, as well as eligible candidates with cerebral palsy or locomotor disabilities that affect their ability to write at the required speed, subject to applicable examination and institutional guidelines.
The initiative works to facilitate support in accordance with the requirements of the relevant examination authority and applicable provisions governing examination assistance for persons with disabilities.
Supporting Dignity and Fair Participation
A scribe provides writing assistance by accurately recording the answers communicated by the candidate. The knowledge, preparation, reasoning and academic performance remain the candidate's own.
The role of the scribe is therefore to remove a functional barrier to written expression, not to influence or contribute to the candidate's responses.
By making examination assistance more organised and accessible, the Scribe Bank seeks to contribute to a system in which students with disabilities can participate in examinations on a more equitable basis and pursue their educational goals with greater confidence and independence.
Examination support facilitated across Save The Quest's education and accessibility initiatives.
Programme Presence
The Scribe Bank currently has programme implementation in Punjab and West Bengal, with a focus on building local volunteer networks and institutional partnerships.
In Punjab: programme activities include institutional engagement, partnership development and volunteer mobilisation.
In West Bengal: the programme includes engagement with educational institutions, student and volunteer onboarding, community outreach and examination support coordination.
The initiative is supported under the CSR framework of Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
Supporting Accessible Examinations Together
Scribe Bank CSR Support
The Scribe Bank Initiative is supported under the CSR framework of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, enabling the development of a coordinated system for strengthening examination access for students with disabilities.
Wider STQ Collaborations
Across its education, accessibility and inclusion programmes, Save The Quest collaborates with corporate organisations, academic institutions, disability organisations, government agencies and local stakeholders. These partnerships contribute to volunteer mobilisation, institutional outreach, programme implementation, accessibility and community engagement.
OUR PARTNERSCollaborating to Build Inclusive and Sustainable Communities
Meaningful social change is achieved through collective action. Save The Quest works in partnership with corporate CSR initiatives, government institutions, educational institutions, civil society organisations and community stakeholders to expand access to education, accessibility and inclusive development across India.
