Lok Sabha Question No. 255 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-22
Subject: Empowerment of Divyangjans
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Smt. Sanjna Jatav

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

## LOK SABHA

255.  Smt. Sanjna Jatav:

Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

be pleased to state:

- (a) the measures taken by the Government to empower the Divyang persons;
- (b) whether the Government has taken steps to impart skills to the Divyang persons particularly in Bharatpur Lok Sabha Constituency, if so, the details thereof along with the percentage of their employment; and
- (c) the details of initiatives taken by the Government for the upliftment of Divyang persons along with the achievement made in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI B L VERMA)

- (a)  The Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (RPwD)  Act,  2016,  effective  from 19.04.2017, expanded disabilities from 7 to 21 and ensures rights like equality, education, employment, and accessibility. It mandates at least 4% reservation in government jobs under Section 34 and 5% in higher education under Section 32 for benchmark disabilities. While the States handle disability relief by virtue of entry 9 of State List, the Centre supports through schemes like SIPDA, ADIP, DDRS, and Scholarships to aid PwDs in rehabilitation and empowerment.
- (b)  DEPwD  implements  the  National  Action  Plan  for  Skill  Development  of  Persons  with Disabilities (NAP-SDP). Under this scheme, skill training is imparted to persons with disabilities in  the  age  group  of  15  to  59  years  through  various  Government  and  Non-Government Organizations across the country, empaneled as training partners (ETPs) with the Department.

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 255

ANSWERED ON  22/07/2025

## Empowerment of Divyangjans

NAP-SDP  Scheme  is  a  Central  Sector Scheme  and  funds are released to empanelled organizations from across the Country on the basis of their demands/proposals. No proposal has been received for conducting skill training of PwDs in Bharatpur Lok Sabha Constituency.

Since the launch of the scheme, an amount of ₹ 157.52 crore has been released under NAP-SDP scheme for conducting skill training of PwDs across the country.

Further,  DEPwD  is  implementing  Free  Coaching  Scholarship  scheme  for  Students  with Disabilities  to provide coaching facility to PwDs with benchmark disabilities to prepare them for competitive  examinations  for  government  jobs  and  also  for  seeking  admission  to  various professional  and  technical  courses.  The  Department  is  implementing  this  scheme  through  the National Institutes, Composite Regional Centres under the administrative control of DEPwD and through  empanelled  Universities/Institutes,  State  universities  under  the  purview  of  the  Central Government and State Governments and any other government institutes working in the field of education of disabilities (Divyangjan).

Since  the  launch  of  the  scheme,  an  amount  of Rs.3.30  crore has  been  released  under  Free Coaching for Students with Disabilities across the country.

(c)  The  Government  of  India  has  undertaken  several  initiatives  for  the  empowerment  and upliftment of Divyangjans. These initiatives span education, employment, accessibility, financial support, and social inclusion. The RPwD Act 2016  expanded the list of recognized disabilities from 7 to 21;  increased reservation in government jobs from 3% to 4% and in higher education institutions from 3% to 5%; mandated accessibility standards in public infrastructure, transport, and ICT etc.

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 that inter alia include:-

(i ) Assistance  to  Persons  with  Disabilities  for  Purchase/Fitting  of  Aids  and  Appliance (ADIP ):   The ADIP  Scheme provides  financial  aid  to Divyangjans for  purchasing  modern  aids and appliances like wheelchairs, hearing aids, prosthetics, smart canes, motorized tricycles, and low-vision  devices to  enhance  their  mobility,  independence,  and  rehabilitation.  Funds  are disbursed through implementing agencies to eligible beneficiaries.

(ii) Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS):Under Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), financial assistance is provided to the voluntary Organizations/Project Implementing agencies for running various projects for the welfare/empowerment  of  Persons  with  Disabilities (PwDs)  including  Special  School  for the  Children with Visual, Hearing and Intellectual disability including  Children with Cerebral Palsy  etc.,  aimed  at  enabling  them  to  maintain  their  optimal,  physical,  sensory,  intellectual, psychiatric or social functional levels.

During the last three years, 1,00,836 PwDs were benefitted under the Scheme.

(iii) Scholarship  Schemes  for  Students  with  disabilities: Department  is  implementing Umbrella Scheme 'Scholarships for Students with Disabilities' comprising six components, viz., Pre-matric, Post-matric, Top Class Education, National Overseas Scholarship, National Fellowship  for  PwDs  and  Free  Coaching  schemes  with  an  objective  to  remove  financial, physical, and psychological barriers, enabling the Divyang students to pursue education and live with  dignity.  Funds  are  disbursed directly  to  students'  bank  accounts  (DBT  mode) pan-India. During the last three years, 96,572 students with disabilities were benefitted under the Scheme.

(iv) UDID  scheme: The UDID  (Unique  Disability  ID)  Scheme provides  a single  digital  ID card for  Persons  with  Disabilities,  streamlining  access  to  government  benefits.  It  eliminates redundant  documentation,  ensures  transparency,  and  promotes  inclusivity  by  linking  welfare schemes directly to beneficiaries, empowering  PwDs  with  easier access to rights and opportunities.

(v) Accessible  India  Campaign: The  Department  has  conceptualized  the  Accessible  India Campaign  (Sugamya  Bharat  Abhiyan)  as  a  nation-wide  flagship  campaign  for  achieving universal accessibility to enable PwDs  to gain access for equal opportunity and live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life in an inclusive society. The campaign targets at enhancing the accessibility of built environment, transport system and information & communication eco-system.

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