Lok Sabha Question No. 451 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-22
Subject: Funds Allocated for National Funds for Persons with Disabilities
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Smt. Shambhavi, Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 451

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22/07/2025

## Funds Allocated for National Funds for Persons with Disabilities

451. Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar:

Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske:

Smt. Shambhavi:

Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde:

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

- (a) the total corpus allocated, sanctioned, disbursed and utilized under the National Fund for Persons with Disabilities since 2020;
- (b)  the details and the number of persons with benchmark disabilities have benefited from the Fund across  various  categories  for  education,  assistive  devices,  entrepreneurship  support  and  skill development, State-wise and year-wise;
- (c)  the  details  of  the  mechanisms  that  are  in  place  to  ensure  timely  identification  of  eligible beneficiaries and disbursement of benefits under the Fund;
- (d) the details of the steps that have been taken by the Government to operationalize and expand the scope of the National Fund for Persons with Disabilities in 2025; and
- (e) whether the Government is considering to increase the Fund's allocation or coverage under Budget 2025-26  to  support  new  categories  such  as  neurodivergent  individuals  or  those  with  multiple disabilities, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI B.L.VERMA)

- (a) The details of  corpus allocated, sanctioned, disbursed and utilized under the National Fund for Persons with Disabilities since 2020 are as under:

## Till 31.03.2025 (Amt in Cr .)

|   Corpus allocated |   Fund Sanctioned |   Fund Disbursed |   Fund Utilized |
|--------------------|-------------------|------------------|-----------------|
|                250 |             23.69 |            22.75 |           17.24 |

- (b)  State  wise  data  in  respect  of  Persons  with  Benchmark  disabilities  benefited  in  the  category  of Education, assistive devices, entrepreneurship support and skill development is not maintained in the Department. However, year-wise details as under :
- (c) & (d) : The Ministry has established guidelines for financial assistance under the National Fund, with applications accepted year-round through an online portal for individuals with disabilities and related organizations. Applications are reviewed based on eligibility criteria, and eligible cases are presented to the Governing Body for final approval for fund disbursement. In 2025, the guidelines has been revised to continue the exemption from income criteria, aiming to benefit more persons with disabilities.
- (e)    The  disabilities  specified  under  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (RPwD)  Act,  2016 including  Multiple  Disabilities  ASD,  SLD  and  Intellectual  disabilities  are  considered  eligible  for financial assistance under the National Fund.

| Category                 | No. of PwDs benefited   | No. of PwDs benefited   | No. of PwDs benefited   | No. of PwDs benefited   | No. of PwDs benefited   |
|--------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
| Category                 | F.Y. 2021-22            | F.Y. 2022-23            | F.Y. 2023-24            | F.Y. 2024- 25           | Total                   |
| Education                | 34                      | 0                       | 60                      | 728                     | 822                     |
| Assistive devices        | 0                       | 0                       | 02                      | 0                       | 02                      |
| Entrepreneurship Support | 50                      | 336                     | 282                     | 0                       | 668                     |
| Skill Development        | 0                       | 11                      | 02                      | 179                     | 192                     |
| Total                    | 84                      | 347                     | 346                     | 907                     | 1684                    |

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