Lok Sabha Question No. 3436 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-23
Subject: Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dharmendra Kumar Kashyap

(a)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3436 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2022

## OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

3436.  SHRI DHARMENDRA KASHYAP:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  appointed  in  Railways during last three years and the current year, Zone-wise;
- (b)    whether  the  cases  of  violation  of  the  Persons  with  Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 in Railways have come to the notice of Government during the said period and if so, the details thereof, Zone-wise;
- (c)  whether  Railways  has  implemented  Supreme  Court's  order  for extending three per cent reservation to Persons with Disabilities and if so, the details thereof, Zone-wise; and
- (d)  the  other  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  adequate representation of Persons with Disabilities in Railways?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

to (d) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3436 BY SHRI DHARMENDRA KASHYAP TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  23.03.2022  REGARDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

- (a) Zone-wise  detail  of the  number  of  Persons  with  Disabilities appointed in Railways during last three years and the current year is as under:

| Zonal Railway   | Number of Persons with Disabilities appointed in Railways   | Number of Persons with Disabilities appointed in Railways   | Number of Persons with Disabilities appointed in Railways   | Number of Persons with Disabilities appointed in Railways   |
|-----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|                 | 2018-19                                                     | 2019-20                                                     | 2020-21                                                     | 2021-22                                                     |
| CR              | 62                                                          | 85                                                          | 39                                                          | 6                                                           |
| ER              | 31                                                          | 20                                                          | 5                                                           | 7                                                           |
| ECR             | 44                                                          | 97                                                          | 33                                                          | 12                                                          |
| ECoR            | 40                                                          | 07                                                          | 0                                                           | 0                                                           |
| NR              | 18                                                          | 147                                                         | 67                                                          | 5                                                           |
| NCR             | 14                                                          | 76                                                          | 92                                                          | 9                                                           |
| NER             | 49                                                          | 14                                                          | 7                                                           | 1                                                           |
| NFR             | 01                                                          | 70                                                          | 10                                                          | 17                                                          |
| NWR             | 15                                                          | 13                                                          | 15                                                          | 4                                                           |
| SR              | 1                                                           | 94                                                          | 2                                                           | 3                                                           |
| SCR             | 196                                                         | 48                                                          | 1                                                           | 1                                                           |
| SER             | 0                                                           | 94                                                          | 2                                                           | 0                                                           |
| SECR            | 16                                                          | 11                                                          | 14                                                          | 2                                                           |
| SWR             | 09                                                          | 32                                                          | 17                                                          | 29                                                          |
| WR              | 109                                                         | 190                                                         | 70                                                          | 15                                                          |
| WCR             | 16                                                          | 55                                                          | 9                                                           | 9                                                           |
| Total           | 621                                                         | 1053                                                        | 383                                                         | 120                                                         |

- (b)  No,  Sir.  No  cases  of  violation  of  the  Rights  of  Persons  with Disabilities  (RPWD)  Act,  2016  (which  is  the  new  Act  in  place  of  the Persons  with  Disabilities  (Equal  Opportunities,  Protection  of  Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995) have come to Ministry of Railways' notice.
- (c)  Yes, Sir. Zone-wise details of recruitment are provided in part (a) above.
- (d) In addition to provision of reservation of Four per cent as per the Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (RPWD)  Act,  2016,  Persons  with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates are given following exemptions/relaxations  and  facilities  in  open  market  recruitment  to non-gazetted posts on Railways:
- (i) Such candidates are charged a lower amount of ₹ 250 as exam fee, compared to ₹ 500 from non-exempted category and that too is refunded if the candidate appears in the written exam.
- (ii) There is a provision of giving relaxation of up to 2 marks to PwBD candidates in the minimum qualifying marks for each category, viz., UR (Unreserved)/SC (Scheduled Caste)/ ST(Scheduled Tribe)/OBC (Other Backward Classes).
- (iii) Upper  age  limit  relaxation  of  10  years  is  given  in  addition  to community-wise age relaxation.
- (iv) Exemption  is  given  from  appearing  in  Physical  Efficiency  Test (PET) conducted for Level-1 recruitment exam.
- (v) PwBD  candidates of several disability categories are also provided  assistance  of  Scribes  for  appearing  in  recruitment examinations.

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