Lok Sabha Question No. 201 (STARRED), answered on 2024-08-06
Subject: Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan, Shri Naba Charan Majhi

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

## LOK SABHA

(a) to (c):  A statement is laid on the table of the House.

STARRED QUESTION NO. * 201

TO BE ANSWERED ON  06.08.2024

## EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

- *201. Shri Naba Charan Majhi:

Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan:

Will  the  Minister  of  SOCIAL  JUSTICE  AND  EMPOWERMENT सामािजक ᭠याय और अिधकाᳯरता मंᮢी be pleased to state :

- (a)      the measures taken by the Government to empower persons with disabilities;
- (b)     whether  the  Government  has  taken  steps  to  impart  skills  to  disabled  persons  particularly  in Valsad Parliamentary Constituency, if so, the details thereof including the percentage of their placement; and
- (c)     the  details  of  the  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  upliftment  of  divyangjan  and achievements thereof ?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT

(DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

Statement  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  to  (c)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  201 raised by Shri Naba Charan Majhi and Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan, Hon'ble MPs regarding 'Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities' for answer on 06.08.2024.

(a) The Government enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 which came into force on 19.04.2017. The said Act provides rights and entitlements to persons with disabilities, which inter alia include  equality,  non-discrimination,  protection  from  cruelty,  exploitation,  right  to  live  with family  and  community,  access  to  justice,  access  to  voting,  legal  capacity,  legal  protection,  health, education,  employment,  skill  development,  arts,  sports,  entertainment,  culture  and  participation  in decision-making processes.  Though, relief to persons with disabilities is a State subject by virtue of Entry  9  of  the  State  List  of  the  Constitution  of  India,  the  Central  Government  through  its  major schemes  namely  Assistance  to  Persons  with  Disabilities  for  Purchase/Fitting  of  Aids/Appliances (ADIP),  Scheme  for  Implementation  of  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  Act,  2016  (SIPDA), Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), Skill training and Scholarship, supplements the efforts of State Governments.

(b)  The  department  has  launched  PM-DAKSH-DEPWD  portal.  Under  this  portal,  there  are  two modules:

(i)  Skill training:- Skill training is organized for the persons with disabilities through the portal in the districts  across  the  country  from  where  proposals  for  training  are  received.  No  proposal  for  skill training has been received from Valsad district. (ii) Divyangjan Rojgar Setu:- The objective of this platform  is  to  work  as  a  bridge  between  the  persons  with  disabilities  and  the  employers  providing employment to the persons with disabilities.

Since  the  commencement  of  the  National  Action  Plan  for  Skill  Development  in  2015,  an amount of Rs 147 . 76 crore has been released for skill training of 1 . 42 lakh persons with disabilities.

Composite Regional Center (CRC) Ahmedabad in collaboration with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Valsad organized a 3 day state level 'Continuing Rehabilitation Education' (CRE) program for special teachers at BRC Bhawan, Valsad, Gujarat.

(c)    The  main  achievements  of  various  schemes  of  the  Department  during  the  last  10  years  are  as follows :-

Atal  Bihari  Vajpayee  Divyang  Sports  Centre,  Gwalior  was  inaugurated  by  the  Hon'ble Prime Minister on 2 nd October, 2023. This Sports Center will provide sports training to persons with disabilities with latest facilities at par with the world to enable them to compete effectively and win medals  in  Paralympics,  Deaflympics,  Special  Olympics  and    other  international  sports  events  for persons with disabilities.

Under the Assistance to Persons with Disabilities for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/ Appliances Scheme (ADIP), assistive devices have been provided to 28.97 lakh PwDs at a cost of Rs 2079.52 crore  through  16571  distribution  camps  across  the  country.  The  Artificial  Limbs  Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) has been modernized.

Under  the  scholarship  scheme,  scholarship  worth  Rs  839.69  crore  has  been  provided  to 259567  students  with  disabilities.    Rs.151.43  crore  has  been  released  to  State/UT  Governments, Autonomous  Organizations/NIs  and  Statutory  Bodies  for  retrofitting  of  1009  buildings  to  provide barrier free environment for PwDs.  A cumulative amount of Rs 1141.34 crore has been released to 1.63  lakh  persons  with  disabilities  under  NDFDC  loan  based  schemes.  Under  the  'Whole  of Government approach', harmonized accessible guidelines have been prepared by 17 ministries of the Government.

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