Lok Sabha Question No. 471 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-03
Subject: Schemes for Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Pradyut Bordoloi

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.471 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.02.2026

## SCHEMES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

## 471. SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

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

(a) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of the coverage and impact of the "Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana" and "Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)" during the last five years, if so, the details and the findings thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

- (b) whether the Ministry has reviewed accessibility standards for public infrastructure and Government buildings under the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), if so, the findings thereof, including compliance status, State-wise and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the financial allocations for welfare of persons with disabilities and senior citizens have been increased in the Union Budget 2025-26, if so, the details thereof including the quantum of increase of funds, additional measures taken with the additional funds and the funds pending and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details regarding the scale of tangible impact, number of beneficiaries and implementation challenges of each scheme for senior citizens and persons with disabilities?

## ANSWER

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

(a): A third-party evaluation of the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana(RVY) and the Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRSS) has recently been undertaken for their appraisal for continuation of these schemes during the next financial cycle(2026-31).

The study in respect of the RVY has, inter alia, indicated that the scheme is exceptionally well-aligned with the needs of BPL/low-income elderly, is highly efficient, has exceptional productivity, is inclusive and has had a transformative impact on the mobility and functional independence of beneficiaries who receive devices, enabling them to walk independently or move around without assistance.

The evaluation study of the DDRSS has indicated that the scheme has delivered significant outcomes in education, rehabilitation, assistive support and livelihood inclusion. The evaluation also noted improved livelihood linkages, strong community and parental engagement, and enhanced transparency and timelines through the e-anudaan digital platform.

(b): The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities(DePWD) has informed that the 'works, lands and buildings vested in or in the possession of the State' is a State subject and in pursuance of Sections 40 to 45 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act, 2016), the appropriate Government, as defined under Section 2(b) of the said Act, is statutorily mandated to take requisite steps to ensure the creation and maintenance of accessible built infrastructure, transport systems, accessible information and communication technology (ICT) platforms for Divyangjans. The data on State/UT-wise compliance is not maintained centrally.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017 (RPwD Rules, 2017) provides the regulatory framework for sectoral implementation of the RPwD Act, 2016. Under Rule 15(1) of the RPwD Rules, 2017, sector-specific standards and regulations pertaining to accessibility have been prescribed and notified. Pursuant to Rule 15(2) of the RPwD Rules, 2017, the respective Ministries and Departments of the Central Government shall ensure compliance with the prescribed accessibility standards through the instrumentality of the concerned domain regulators or through such other measures as may be deemed appropriate.

Central Public Works Department(CPWD) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has informed that it has completed accessibility upgrades in about 1100 Central Government buildings as per feasibility. CPWD has also issued directions to ensure that the provisions of universal accessibility be incorporated in all new buildings at designing/ planning stage.

(c): The Budget Estimates(BE) for the DePWD for the Financial Year(FY) 2025-26 is Rs. 1275.00 crore, which is 4.05% higher than the BE of FY 2024-25 (Rs 1225.27crore).

Further, the BE for the Atal Vayo Abhuydaya Yojana (AVYAY) for the FY 2025-26 is Rs. 553.42 Crore, which is 2.59% higher than the BE for the FY 2024-25 (Rs. 539.44 Crore).

The additional funds allocated to the said schemes are utilized to cover more beneficiaries and for taking measures for extending the outreach of the schemes.

(d): The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment(DoSJE) implements AVYAY for the welfare of senior citizens. An amount of Rs. 824.23 Cr has been released under the AVYAY Scheme during the last three years.

At present, the financial support is being provided to 705 Senior Citizen Homes, 13 Continuous Care Homes, 17 Mobile Medicare Units and 3 Physiotherapy Units to provide food, shelter, clothing and medical facilities to indigent senior citizens. Further, aids and assistive devices have been distributed to 7.92 lakh eligible senior citizens under the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana. More than 27 lakh calls have been received on Elderline(a national level helpline with toll free number 14567) pertaining to the issues reported by the eldery.

To bridge the demand and supply gap in the field of Geriatric Care Givers, 35,480 trainees have been trained so far.

9 Start-ups have been financially supported under the Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) component of the AVYAY Scheme to encourage development of innovative products and services for the senior citizens.

Del WD has informed that an amount of Rs. 384.52 Cr has been released under the DDRS Scheme benefitting 1,00,836 beneficiaries during the last three years. Also, DEPWD implements an umbrella scheme for Implementation of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SIPDA) Act, 2016, applicable across India. The said scheme has a component, namely the "Scheme for Creation of Barrier Free Environment" (CBFE Scheme), through which financial assistance is provided to State/UT Governments on demand basis, for the creation of a barrier-free environment in existing government buildings and establishments, upon receipt of compliant proposals.

Under the SIPDA scheme, Cross-Disability Early Intervention Centres (CDEICs) have been established to provide early identification and multidisciplinary intervention services to children with disabilities in the 0-6 year age group. At present, 28 CDEICs are functional across National Institutes, Composite Regional Centres and Regional Centres supported by the Department. Since the inception of the scheme, 19,69,791 beneficiaries have been reported under the CDEIC sub-scheme.

These Centres provide coordinated services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychological assessment, special education and parental counselling through a single-window service delivery framework.

Some of the implementation challenges under AVYAY Scheme and CBFE Scheme include the receipt of delayed and incomplete proposals, pendency of Utilization Certificates (UCs), inadequate proposal submission and administrative and procedural challenges.

Implementation of the schemes is regularly monitored through inspections, periodic reporting and review mechanisms and any operational issues arising during the implementation are addressed through continuous administrative and financial oversight.

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