Lok Sabha Question No. 379 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-29
Subject: Employment of Persons with Disabilities
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: S. Jothimani, T.N. Prathapan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## LOK SABHA

## MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWRERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILTIES

STARRED QUESTION NO. *379 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.03.2022

## EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

- *379. MS. S. JOTHIMANI:

SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN:

Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  out  of  1.3  crore  of  employable  Persons  with  Disabilities  (PwDs)  only  34  lakh  are currently employed;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of PwDs employed under Government schemes since 2014, year-wise and during the current year;
- (d)   the number of PwDs that the Government has trained and the number of such trainees placed under various schemes since 2014 till date, year-wise; and
- (e)  whether the Government has failed to increase the budget for the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation despite the assistance required by PwDs in employment and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

- (a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement referred to in reply to part (a) to (e) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 379 raised  by  MS.  S.  JOTHIMANI:  SHRI  T.N.  PRATHAPAN:  regarding  'Employment  of Persons with Disabilities' for answer on 29.03.2022.

- (a) & (b)  According to Census 2011, there are 2.68 crore persons with disabilities in the country which inter-alia include  persons  with  visual,  hearing,  locomotor,  and  mental  disabilities.  As  per this Census, 36% persons with disabilities were employed as workers.
- (c)  National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFD), under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) of the Ministry channelizes concessional loans to persons with disabilities (PwDs) throughout the country through its various schemes for self-employment of PwDs. Beneficiaries (PwDs) covered from 2014-15 till current year (year-wise) is as under:

S No.

Year

No. of Beneficiaries

| (i)    | 2014-15   |   14703 |
|--------|-----------|---------|
| (ii)   | 2015-16   |   20552 |
| (iii)  | 2016-17   |   16101 |
| (iv)   | 2017-18   |   11767 |
| (v)    | 2018-19   |   11221 |
| (vi)   | 2019-20   |   17935 |
| (vii)  | 2020-21   |   18326 |
| (viii) | 2021-22   |   11335 |
|        | Total     |  121940 |

Further, as per information received from Ministry of Rural Development, number of persons with disabilities who  availed  employment  under Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) since 2014-15 is as under:

Financial Year

Number of PwDs availed employment under MNREGS  (in lakh)

| 2014-15                    |   4.15 |
|----------------------------|--------|
| 2015-16                    |   4.59 |
| 2016-17                    |   4.71 |
| 2017-18                    |   4.72 |
| 2018-19                    |   4.62 |
| 2019-20                    |   4.63 |
| 2020-21                    |   6.06 |
| 2021-22 (as on 23.03.2022) |   5.6  |

- (d)   The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is implementing a flagship scheme namely 'Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY)' for Skill based training of the youth across the country including PwDs. Further, with the objective to provide skill training to persons with disabilities (PwDs) for enabling them to become self-reliant and productive members of  the  society,  the  Department  of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) launched "National  Action  Plan  (NAP)  for  Skill  Development  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (PwDs)"  in March, 2015. Prior to these schemes, broadly the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) used to provide skill training under 'Scheme for Implementation of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (SIPDA)'.

Number of PwDs trained and employed under the above schemes of MSDE, DEPwD since 2016-17 and the schemes implemented by NHFDC for the year 2014-15 to 2016-17 is as under:

| Year    | PMKVY of MSDE of   | PMKVY of MSDE of     | NAP of DEPwD of   | NAP of DEPwD of                   | Scheme of NHFDC                   | Scheme of NHFDC                   |
|---------|--------------------|----------------------|-------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Year    | No. PwDs trained   | No. of PwDs employed | No. PwDs trained  | No. of PwDs employed              | No. of PwDs trained               | No. of PwDs employed              |
| 2014-15 | -                  | -                    | -                 | -                                 | 9356                              | 4605                              |
| 2015-16 | -                  | -                    | -                 | -                                 | 16265                             | 10247                             |
| 2016-17 | 53                 | 0                    | 0                 | 0                                 | 18455                             | 11208                             |
| 2017-18 | 2742               | 626                  | 15334             | 5467                              |                                   |                                   |
| 2018-19 | 14063              | 1815                 | 54001             | Training programs conducted 17027 | Training programs conducted 17027 | Training programs conducted 17027 |
| 2019-20 | 22885              | 10474                | 2742              | by NHFDC are part of NAP 1861     | by NHFDC are part of NAP 1861     | by NHFDC are part of NAP 1861     |
| 2020-21 | 8554               | 2429                 | 1156              | of DEPwD since 2017-18 357        | of DEPwD since 2017-18 357        | of DEPwD since 2017-18 357        |
| 2021-22 | 212                | 2374                 | 6669              | 361                               | 361                               | 361                               |
| Total   | 48509              | 17718                | 79902             | 25073                             | 25073                             | 25073                             |

- (e)  National  Handicapped  Finance  and  Development  Corporation  (NHFDC)  is  a  Central  Public Sector  Enterprise  (CPSE)  functioning  under  the  Department  of  Empowerment  of  Persons  with Disabilities.  The  Government  has  released  Rs.399.99  Cr.  to  National  Handicapped  Finance  and Development  Corporation  since  its  inception  in  1997  as  equity  support.  The  Corporation  has catered to loan assistance required by Divyangjan for self-employment out of the said funds. The Corporation has been addressing the loan assistance needs of Divyangjan by ploughing back the funds available with it and did not seek support of Government since Financial Year 2020-21.

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