Lok Sabha Question No. 4287 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Sugamya Bharat App to Improve Accessibility for Divyangjan and Elderly Citizens
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Suresh Kumar Kashyap, Shri Khagen Murmu, Smt. Smita Uday Wagh, Shri Anurag Sharma

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 4287

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 19/08/2025

## SUGAMYA BHARAT APP TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY FOR DIVYANGJAN AND ELDERLY CITIZENS

4287. Smt. Smita Uday Wagh:

Shri Anurag Sharma:

Shri Khagen Murmu:

Shri Suresh Kumar Kashyap:

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

- (a) the details of the digital initiatives and Sugamya Bharat App launched by the Government to enhance accessibility support for Divyangjan and elderly citizens, State-wise including Himachal Pradesh;
- (b) the number of complaints related to accessibility barriers received through the said app since its  launch  in  2021,  State-wise  breakup,  especially  for  Maharashtra  and  Jalgaon  Lok  Sabha constituency and Himachal Pradesh;
- (c)  the  Standard  Operating  Procedure  adopted  to  ensure  time-bound  and  effective  redressal  of grievances received through the said app, State-wise including Himachal Pradesh;
- (d)  the  measures  implemented  to  increase  public  awareness  and  participation  in  reporting accessibility  barriers  through  the  said  app,  especially  among  rural  and  semi-urban  populations and to encourage active usage of App; and
- (e) whether there is any proposal to enhance app functionality through regional language support and  integration  with  local  Government  or  departments  for  faster  resolution,  if  so,  the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI B. L. VERMA)

(a) to (c) Sugamya Bharat App (SBA), is a crowd sourcing mobile application which serves as an  online  platform  across  India,  including  the  State  of  Himachal  Pradesh  for  citizens  to report accessibility  barriers  across  three  critical  verticals:  Built  Environment  encompassing public buildings and infrastructure, Transportation Systems including buses, trains and airports, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem covering websites and digital services.  It  is  an  initiative  of  the  Department  of  Empowerment  of  Persons  with  Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. It is available on both iOS and android platforms and can also be downloaded from the website: https://sugamyabharat.gov.in/.

The Sugamya Bharat App underwent comprehensive revamping in the year 2024 to significantly enhance  its functionality and  user experience.  The  upgraded  version features  improved accessibility interfaces to better serve Divyangjans, streamlined complaint registration processes for more efficient grievance reporting and the integration of an AI-powered chatbot that provides real-time assistance and automated support to users. Additionally, the revamped app incorporates enhanced  categorization  systems  for  better  organization  of  content  and  improved  access  to government schemes, policy circulars and dedicated helpline services, thereby creating a more comprehensive and user-friendly platform for addressing accessibility barriers and empowering persons with disabilities across the nation.

It  is  noteworthy  that  for  appropriate  and  effective  grievance  redressal,  the  Standard  Operating Procedure  for  grievance  redressal  on  SBA  keeps  evolving  based  on  field  experiences  and feedback from stakeholders, technological advancements, resolution bottlenecks etc. As per the current framework of the Sugamya Bharat App, the SOP broadly includes the following steps:

## i.             Step 1: Grievance Registration

The  user  registers  their  grievance  on  the  Sugamya  Bharat  App  by  uploading  detailed complaint  descriptions,  and  specifying  the  nature  of  accessibility  barrier  encountered  in built environment, transportation systems, or ICT platforms.

## ii.            Step 2: Central Receipt and Initial Processing

All grievances are received centrally in the Program Management Unit (PMU) account of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD). Initial assessment is conducted to determine the appropriate jurisdiction and governmental level  responsible  for  addressing  the  specific  accessibility  barrier,  classifying  complaints into either Central Government matters or State Government matters based on the nature and ownership of the reported facility or service.

## iii. Step 3: Bifurcated Allocation System

For  Central  Government  matters,  grievances  are  allocated  centrally  within  the  DEPwD framework to either the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) or the concerned DEPwD Nodal officers' accounts as per the relevance and specific nature of the complaint. For State Government matters, grievances are forwarded to the respective State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) of the concerned State/UT for further action and coordination.

## iv.           Step 4: State-Level Coordination and District Allocation

The SCPD receives the complaint from the central PMU and takes up the matter with the concerned  District  Collector  or  District  Magistrate  of  the  specific  district  where  the accessibility barrier has been reported, ensuring that local administrative authorities with direct jurisdiction are engaged for resolution.

## v.            Step 5: Resolution Implementation

The appropriate Central Government level (SCPD) or the DEPwD nodal officers identify and resolve the grievance, update the status on the SBA as resolved under intimation to the user.  For  State  Level  matters,  District  Collectors  or  District  Magistrates  coordinate  with relevant  local  departments,  municipal  authorities  or  facility  managers  to  implement necessary  accessibility  improvements,  repairs,  or  modifications  to  address  the  reported barrier  and  ensure  compliance  with  accessibility  standards  and  update  the  status  of  the complaint on the app under intimation to the user.

The Sugamya Bharat App currently provides functionality for displaying breakdown of the complaints  allocated  to  the  concerned  State  Commissioners  for  Persons  with  Disabilities (SCPDs)  and their concerned States/UTs; however, constituency-wise disaggregation of complaint data is not available at the central level through the application interface.  The details of the complaints allocated State/UT-wise to the concerned SCPDs is available at Annexure 'A' .

(d) To increase public awareness of the Department's various initiatives including the Sugamya Bharat  App,  DEPwD  employs  various  Departmental  social  media  platforms  including  X ( formerly  Twitter ),  Facebook,  WhatsApp  channel,  YouTube,  Instagram  etc  to  reach  diverse populations, also targeting rural and semi-urban communities. The Department also utilizes Press Information Bureau (PIB) from time to time for official updates on the Sugamya Bharat App, ensuring broader mainstream media coverage.

(e) The  Sugamya  Bharat  App  offers  support  in  23  languages  for  providing  suitable  language support  and  facilitation  of  grievance  redressal.  Under  the  existing  SOP,  as  detailed  above,  all complaints  are  received  centrally  by  DEPwD's  PMU  and  routed  either  to  central  agencies (CCPD/DEPwD  nodal  units)  or  to  State  Commissioners  for  Persons  with  Disabilities,  who coordinate with District Collectors thereby involving local Government for swift  resolution.

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## Annexure 'A'

## SCPD/State-UT specific details of SBA grievances as on 14.08.2025

| State              |   Total Received |   Total Pending |   Total Disposed |
|--------------------|------------------|-----------------|------------------|
| TOTAL (All States) |             1095 |             528 |              567 |
| Andhra Pradesh     |               19 |               4 |               15 |
| Assam              |                8 |               8 |                0 |
| Bihar              |               31 |              30 |                1 |
| Chandigarh         |               40 |              40 |                0 |
| Chhattisgarh       |                8 |               1 |                7 |
| Delhi              |              134 |             134 |                0 |
| Goa                |                2 |               2 |                0 |
| Gujarat            |              375 |               9 |              366 |
| Himachal Pradesh   |                6 |               6 |                0 |
| Jammu And Kashmir  |               30 |              27 |                3 |
| Jharkhand          |                6 |               6 |                0 |

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