Lok Sabha Question No. 2376 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: Empowering Disabled Persons
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Sanatan Pandey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2376 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2024

## EMPOWERING DISABLED PERSONS

2376. Shri Sanatan Pandey:

Will the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment be pleased to state:

- (a) the measures taken by the Government to empower the disabled persons;
- (b)    the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  provide  skills  to  the  disabled  persons,  especially  in  Ballia Parliamentary Constituency including the percentage of their employment; and
- (c)  the details of the achievements and the initiatives taken by the Government for the upliftment of the disabled people?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI B .L.VERMA)

(a): The Government enacted Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 which came into force on 19.04.2017. The number of disabilities has been increased from 7 to 21. The said Act provides rights and entitlements to PwDs, which, inter-alia, include right to equality, nondiscrimination, protection from cruelty, exploitation, right to live with family and community, access  to  justice,  accessibility  in  voting,  legal  capacity,  legal  guardianship,  health,  education, employment,  skill  development,  arts,  sports,  recreation,  culture  and  participation  in  decision making process.

Section 34 of the said Act provides for 4 % reservation in the government employment to the persons with benchmark (40% or above) disabilities. Further, Section 32 of the said Act provides 5% reservation in government or government aided higher educational institutions for persons with benchmark disabilities.

Although relief  to  the  disabled  is  a  State  subject  by  virtue  of  entry  9  of  the  State  List  of  the Constitution of India, the Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments through its major schemes namely Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP), Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act,  2016  (SIPDA),  Deendayal  Divyangjan  Rehabilitation  Scheme  (DDRS)  and  Scholarship Schemes.

(b): Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities implements the National Action Plan for Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities (NAP-SDP). This scheme was launched in March, 2015. Training under the scheme is provided through various Government and NonGovernment Organizations,  empanelled  as  training  partners  (ETPs)  with  the  Department.  The main objective of the scheme is to enhance skills of Persons with Disabilities; provisioning of quality vocational Skill Training to Divyangjans to enable them to have gainful employment and to become self-reliant and productive.

Under the NAP-SDP scheme, skill training is provided to the persons with disability through the Government and Non-Government Organizations, across the country. Since the launch of the scheme, Department has provided the skill training to 1.42 lakh PwDs at a cost of Rs. 147.78 crore. Out of these PwDs, 28000 have been placed in wage-employment/self-employment. It is demand driven  scheme  and  funds  are  released  to  Empanelled  training  partner  based  on  their proposal.  The  Department  has  requested  State  Skill  Development  Mission  (SSDM)  of  all States/UTs, including Uttar Pradesh, to encourage conducting skill training for PwDs.

(c): Although relief to the disabled is a State subject by virtue of entry 9 of the State  List of the Constitution of India, the Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments through its following major schemes:-

(i ) Assistance to  Disabled  Persons  for  Purchase/Fitting  of  Aids  and  Appliance  (ADIP): The  Department  is  implementing  the  Scheme  of  'Assistance  to  Persons  with  Disabilities  for Purchase/Fitting  of  Aids  and  Appliances  (ADIP)'  under  which  funds  are  released  to  various Implementing Agencies to assist the eligible  persons with disabilities (Divyangjan) in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that promotes  their  physical,  social  and  psychological  rehabilitation.  Various  types  of  aids  and assistive devices distributed to different types of disabilities are Motorized Tricycle, Wheelchair, Prosthesis and orthosis, Walking Stick, Accessible Smart Phones, Smart Cane, Low Vision Aids, Hearing Aids, Teaching Learning Material (TLM) Kits etc.

(ii) Scheme  for  Implementation  of  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  Act  (SIPDA): Under this Scheme, assistance is provided to State Governments and autonomous organizations/Institutions under Central or State Government/various implementing agencies for various activities relating to the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.   Major  Components  of  Scheme  for  Implementation  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  Act (SIPDA) are:-

## (a) Creation of Barrier Free Environment for PwDs

- (b) National Action Plan for Skill Development (c) Accessible India Campaign (AIC) (d) Unique Disability Identity Card (e) Awareness Generation and Publicity Scheme Under the Scheme grant-in-aid is  provided  to  Non-Governmental  Organization  (NGOs)  for  running  the   projects  relating  to rehabilitation  of  persons  with  disabilities  to  enable  them  to  reach  and  maintain  their  optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric or social functional levels. During the last three years,

(iii) Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS):96,111 PwDs were benefitted under the Scheme.

(iv) Scholarship Schemes for Students with disabilities: Under this Scheme, the Government provides scholarships for students with disabilities such as Pre-matric (for classes IX & X), Postmatric  (from  class  XI  up  to  Post  Graduate  degree/diploma  level),  Top  Class  Education  (Post graduate degree/diploma in notified Institutes), National Fellowship (M.Phil and PhD courses in Indian  Universities)  and  National  Overseas  Scholarship  (Masters  Degree/  Ph.D  in  Foreign Universities ). During the last three years, 1,15,667 PwDs were benefitted under the Scheme.

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