Lok Sabha Question No. 2548 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-19
Subject: Accessible India Campaign
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, Devji Mansingram Patel, Locket Chatterjee, Saikia Dilip, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Rajendra Agrawal

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2548

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2023

## ACCESSIBLE INDIA CAMPAIGN

## 2548. SHRI RANJEETSINGH NAIK

NIBALKAR:

SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE:

SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM

SHRANGARE:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

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

- (a) whether the Accessible India Campaign (AIC) has fostered a more inclusive society in the country by addressing the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b)  the  tangible  outcomes  of  this  campaign  in  enhancing  the  accessibility  of  India's infrastructure and services for persons with disabilities?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SUSHRI PRATIMA BHOUMIK)

- (a) and (b): Sir, the Accessible India Campaign (AIC) has fostered a more inclusive society in the country by addressing the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities. The details of tangible outcomes of the Accessible India Campaign (AIC) in increasing the accessibility of India's infrastructure and services to persons with disabilities is attached as Annexure .

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Annexure  referred  to  in  the  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  2548  raised  by SHRI RANJEETSINGH NAIK NIBALKAR, SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL, MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE,  SHRI  DILIP  SAIKIA,  SHRI  SUDHAKAR  TUKARAM  SHRANGARE, SHRI  BIDYUT  BARAN  MAHATO and  SHRI  RAJENDRA  AGRAWAL:  for  answer  on 19.12.2023 regarding 'Accessible India Campaign'

## Details of targets and the progress thereof under the Accessible India Campaign

|   S.No | Target                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | Status                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      1 | Target of enhancing the proportion of Accessible Government Buildings: Target 1.1 : Completing accessibility audit of at least 25- 50 most important government buildings in 50 cities and making them fully accessible; Target 1.2 : Making 50% of all the government buildings of the National Capital and all the State Capitals fully accessible; Target 1.3 : Completing accessibility audit of 50% of government buildings and making them fully accessible in 10 most important cities/towns of states not covered in targets 1.1 and 1.2; | For Target (1.1) - State Government buildings In the State Governments / UTs, auditors completed Access Audit of 1671 buildings in 48 cities. 1671 access audit reports have been submitted to the State's/UTs Nodal Officers. Further, financial proposals for retrofitting of 1484 buildings have been received so far. Sanction has been issued by the Department in respect 1314 buildings and 20 States/UTs have reported to have completed retrofitting work in 623 buildings. For Target 1.2 and 1.3 7 States/UTs have informed that 2839 State Government buildings have been selected to be made accessible under Targets/Phases (1.2) and (1.3) from their own funds. For Central Government building under the targets of built up environment:  In the Central Government, CPWD reported completion of retrofitting in 1100 out of selected 1100 Central Government buildings targeted under Accessible India Campaign. |
|      2 | Target of enhancing the proportion of Accessible Airports Target 2.1 and 2.2 - Airports: All international airports and domestic airports to be made fully accessible;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | All 35 international airports & 55 out of 69 domestic airports provided with accessibility features (ramps, accessible toilets, helpdesks and lifts with Braille and auditory information systems), Further, all international/customs airport are reported to have been provided with aerobridges.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|      3 | Target of enhancing the proportion of Accessible Railway Stations Target 3.1 and 3.2 - Railways: A1, A & B categories of railway stations to be made fully accessible; 50% of all railway stations to be made fully accessible;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | All 709 A1, A & B category railway stations have been made fully accessible, 4068 railway stations have been made partially accessible.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |

|   4 | Target of enhancing the proportion of Accessible Public Transport Target 4.1 - Buses: 10% of Government owned public transport carriers are to be made fully accessible;                                                                                                                                   | MoRTH reported that as on 04.07.2022, out of 1,45,747 buses, 42,348 (29.05%) buses are partially accessible and 8,695 (5.96%) buses are fully accessible and out of 3533 bus station, 3120 are made accessible in respect of 24 States/UTs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|-----|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   5 | Target of Enhancing proportion of accessible and usable public documents and websites Target 5.1 and 5.2 - Websites: At least 50% of Central and State Government websites are to meet accessibility standards; 50% of all public documents issued by the Central and State Governments meet accessibility | A total of 672 State Governments' websites have been made accessible including 476 websites made live so far. 95 websites of Central Government Ministries/Departments are made accessible by MeitY under the Content Management Framework so far.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|   6 | Target 6.1 - Sign Language Interpreters Training and Developing 200 additional sign language interpreters:                                                                                                                                                                                                 | The Government has established Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, in September 2015. The main objective of the Centre is to develop manpower for using, teaching and conducting research in Indian Sign Language. ISLRTC has informed that more than 1000 persons have been trained in Indian sign language through Diploma and Short Term Courses of ISLRTC. Total 116 students have completed Diploma in Indian Sign Language Interpretation (DISLI) course in three academic sessions during 2016-17 to 2019-21.                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|   7 | Target 7.1 and 7.2 - T.V Viewing: (a) Public television news - National standards on captioning and sign language interpretation are to be created and adopted; (b) At least 25% of public television programmes on government channels are to comply with the set standards                               | Accessibility standards for accessible TV viewing by persons with hearing impairment have already been issued by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) for providing for sub-titling, sign language interpretation along with accessibility for televisions sets, remote controls, equipment and internet content. Further, MoIB has to formulate similar guidelines for other disabilities including visual impairment. Accessible content on TV is also being enhanced in a phased manner and so far 19 private news channels are telecasting partially accessible news bulletin, 2447 news bulletins have been telecast with subtitling/sign- language interpretation and more than 3686 scheduled programs/movies using subtitling have been telecast by general entertainment channels. |