Executive Summary:
This document provides answers to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3705 regarding Advisory Boards on Disability, covering funds allocated and utilized under Central schemes for persons with disabilities, the status of State Advisory Boards and Special Courts, vacancies in Commissioner offices, employment of persons with disabilities, and country reports to the UNCRPD. The information spans the last five years and includes state and union territory-wise details. The last meeting of the Central Advisory Board was held on December 15, 2024.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Funding and Schemes:**
* The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities implements Central Sector Schemes.
* Details of funds allocated, released, and utilized under various Central schemes for persons with disabilities during the last five years are in Annexure I.
* **Implementation of RPwD Act, 2016:**
* Details of States/UTs that have constituted State Advisory Boards, set up Special Courts, and appointed Special Public Prosecutors are in Annexure II.
* Seven meetings of the Central Advisory Board have been held, with the last one on December 15, 2024.
* **Commissioner Vacancies:**
* The post of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) is held on an additional charge basis by the Secretary, DEPwD, with a regular appointment process underway.
* The status of vacancies in the office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) is detailed in Annexure III.
* Appointment of State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities (SCPDs) falls under the purview of respective State Governments, as per Section 79 of the RPwD Act, 2016.
* **Employment of Persons with Disabilities:**
* As per Section 34 of the RPwD Act 2016, there is a provision of at least 4% reservation in government employment for benchmark disabilities.
* Instructions have been issued to all Central Government Ministries/Departments to constitute an In-House Committee for identification of backlog reserved vacancies and to fill them through special recruitment drives.
* As of 01.01.2024, there are 27,693 employees under persons with disabilities category.
* **UNCRPD Reporting:**
* India is a party to the UNCRPD since October 2007.
* India submitted its First Country Report in 2015, which was considered by the UN Committee in September 2019.
Impact Analysis:
* **Central Government (Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing Central Sector Schemes and monitoring fund utilization.
* *Action Required:* Continue the process of regular appointment to the post of CCPD, address vacancies, and ensure compliance with reservation policies.
* **State Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for constituting State Advisory Boards, setting up Special Courts, appointing Special Public Prosecutors and SCPDs.
* *Action Required:* Address vacancies in State Commissioner offices and ensure compliance with Section 79 of the RPwD Act, 2016.
* **Government Establishments:**
* *Impact:* Required to adhere to reservation policies for persons with benchmark disabilities in employment and promotion.
* *Action Required:* Constitute In-House Committees to identify and fill backlog reserved vacancies through special recruitment drives.
* **Persons with Disabilities:**
* *Impact:* Beneficiaries of Central schemes, reservation policies, and measures taken under the RPwD Act, 2016.
* *Action Required:* Utilize available schemes and opportunities for employment and inclusion.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: The central government ministry responsible for social justice and empowerment, including matters related to persons with disabilities.
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities: A department under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, specifically focused on the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
RPwD Act, 2016: The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, an Indian legislation protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.
Central Advisory Board: A board constituted by the Central Government to advise on matters relating to the rights of persons with disabilities.
Central Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities: A statutory position responsible for monitoring and safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities at the central level.
State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities: A statutory position responsible for monitoring and safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities at the state level, as mandated by Section 79 of the RPwD Act, 2016.
United National Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities UNCRPD: An international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
New Delhi: The location of the 7th meeting of the Central Advisory Board.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No- 3705
TO BE ANSWERED ON- 12/08/2025
Advisory Boards on Disability
3705. Shri Tejasvi Surya:
Dr. Byreddy Shabari:
Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
be pleased to state:-
(a) the details of funds allocated, released, and utilised under various Central schemes for persons with disabilities during the last
five years, scheme, year and /UT-wise;
(b) the details of the number constituted State Advisory Boards, set up Special Courts, and appointed Special Public Prosecutors
under the RPwD Act, 2016, and the number of meetings held by the Central Advisory Board along with their operational status, State
and UT-wise;
(c) the current status of vacancies in the offices of Central and State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities and whether all
States have appointed independent Commissioners as mandated under Section 79 of the Act, if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
(d) the details and total number of persons with benchmark disabilities employed and
promoted in Government establishments in posts reserved for them since enactment of the Act; and
(e) whether the Ministry has submitted a country report to the UNCRPD in recent years; if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT(SHRI B. L. VERMA)
(a) The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities is implementing only Central Sector Schemes and the details of
funds allocated, released, and utilised under various Central schemes for persons with disabilities during the last five years is
enclosed at Annexure-I.
(b) The details of States/UTs who constituted State Advisory Boards, set up Special Courts and appointed Special Public
Prosecutors under the RPwD Act, 2016 are at Annexure II. Seven meetings of the Central Advisory Board have been held so far; the
last (7th) meeting was held on 15.12.2024 in New Delhi.
(c) The post of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) is currently held on additional charge basis by the Secretary,
DEPwD. The process of regular appointment to the post of CCPD is currently underway. The post of Commissioner for Persons with
Disabilities (reserved) is filled on regular basis and the process of regular appointment to the post of Commissioner for Persons with
Disabilities (unreserved) is currently underway. The status of vacancies in the office of the State Commissioner for Persons with
Disabilities (Divyangjan) is at Annexure III. As regards vacancies position in the offices of the State Commissioners for Persons with
Disabilities (SCPDs) and appointment of independent SCPD, the issues pertains to the State Governments, as Section 79 of the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 prescribes the appointment of State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) and
other staff in the office of SCPD is to be made by respective state government.
(d) As per Section 34 of the RPwD Act 2016, there is provision of atleast 4% reservation in government employment against total
number of vacancies in cadre strength in each group of posts for specified categories of benchmark disabilities. Further, as per the
proviso to the section, the reservation in promotion shall be in accordance with such instructions as are issued by the appropriate
Government from time to time. Occurrence and filling of vacancies, alongwith backlog reserve vacancies, is a continuous process.
Instructions have been issued by Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) to all Ministries/ Department of the Central
Government to constitute an In-House Committee for identifications of backlog reserved vacancies, to study the root cause of such
vacancies, to initiate measures to remove the factors causing such vacancies and to fill them up through special recruitment drives. As
on 01.01.2024, there are 27,693 employees under persons with disabilities category.
(e) India is a party to the United National Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) since October 2007. In
pursuance of Article 35 of the UNCRPD, India submitted the First Country Report on the Status of Disability in India before the
UN Committee on CRPD in 2015. The UN Committee considered the first Country Report of India in September, 2019.******Annexure-I
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3705 to be answered on 12/08/2025 regarding
“Advisory Boards on Disability”
Budget Estimates(BE), Revised Estimates (RE) and Actual Expenditure (AE) under the schemes for the last five years
(Rs. In crores)
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Schemes BE RE AE BE RE AE BE RE AE BE RE AE BE RE AE
1 Scheme of 230.0 195.0 189.1 220.0 180.0 198.7 235.0 230.0 242.2 245.0 305.0 290.6 315.0 350.0 348.8
Assistance to 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 1
Persons with
Disabilities
for
Purchase/Fitt
ing of Aids
/Appliances
2 Deendayal 130.0 85.00 83.18 125.0 105.0 100.9 125.0 105.0 114.6 130.0 130.0 129.9 165.0 139.0 139.3
Divyangjan 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 8 0 0 9
Rehabilitatio
n Scheme
3 Scholarship 125.0 100.0 97.40 125.0 110.0 120.3 105.0 145.0 142.0 155.0 155.0 130.0 142.6 80.00 89.71
for Students 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 8
with
Disabilities
4 Scheme for 251.5 122.8 103.4 209.7 147.3 108.4 240.3 100.0 65.59 150.0 67.00 76.79 135.3 111.0 44.16
Implementati 0 9 3 7 1 4 9 0 0 3 0
on of the
Rights of
Persons with
Disabilities
Act 2016Annexure-II
Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3705 to be
answered on 12/08/2025 regarding “Advisory Boards on Disability”
Details of State Advisory Boards, Special Courts and Special Public Prosecutors
S. No. State State Advisory Special Courts Special Public
Boards Prosecutors
1. Andhra Yes Yes Yes
Pradesh
2. Arunachal Yes Yes Yes
Pradesh
3. Assam Yes Yes Yes
4. Bihar Yes Yes Yes
5. Chhattisgarh Yes Yes Yes
6. Goa Yes Yes Yes
7. Gujarat Yes Yes Yes
8. Haryana Yes Yes Yes
9. Himachal Yes Yes Yes
Pradesh
10. Jharkhand Yes Yes Yes
11. Karnataka Yes Yes Yes
12. Kerala Yes Yes Yes
13 Madhya Yes Yes Yes
Pradesh
14. Maharashtra Yes Yes Yes
15. Manipur Yes Yes Yes
16. Meghalaya Yes Yes Yes
17. Mizoram Yes Yes Yes
18. Nagaland Yes Yes Yes
19. Odisha Yes Yes Yes
20. Punjab Yes Yes Yes
21. Rajasthan Yes Yes Yes
22. Sikkim Yes Yes Yes
23. Tamil Nadu Yes Yes Yes
24. Telangana Yes Yes Yes
25. Tripura Yes Yes Yes
26. Uttarakhand Yes Yes Yes
27. Uttar Pradesh Yes Yes Yes
28. West Bengal Yes Under Process Under Process
29. Andaman & Yes Yes Yes
Nicobar Islands
30. Chandigarh Yes Yes Yes
31. Dadar & Nagar Yes Yes Yes
Haveli and
Daman & Die
32. Delhi Yes Yes Yes
33. Jammu Yes Yes Yes
Kashmir
34. Ladakh Under Process Yes Yes35. Lakshadweep Yes Yes Yes
36. Puducherry Yes Yes YesAnnexure-III
Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3705 to be
answered on 12/08/2025 regarding “Advisory Boards on Disability”
List of State-wise details of State Commissioner for PwDs
S. No. State State Commissioner for PwDs
(Independent/ Additional charge)
1. Andhra Pradesh Additional Charge
2. Arunachal Pradesh Additional Charge
3. Assam Additional Charge
4. Bihar Additional Charge
5. Chhattisgarh Additional Charge
6. Goa Independent
7. Gujarat Independent
8. Haryana Independent
9. Himachal Pradesh Additional Charge
10. Jharkhand Additional Charge
11. Karnataka Independent
12. Kerala Independent
13 Madhya Pradesh Additional Charge
14. Maharashtra Independent
15. Manipur Independent
16. Meghalaya Independent
17. Mizoram Independent
18. Nagaland Additional Charge
19. Odisha Independent
20. Punjab Independent
21. Rajasthan Vacant
22. Sikkim Additional Charge
23. Tamil Nadu Independent
24. Telangana Additional Charge
25. Tripura Additional Charge
26. Uttarakhand Additional Charge
27. Uttar Pradesh Independent
28. West Bengal Additional Charge
29. Andaman & Nicobar Independent
Islands
30. Chandigarh Independent
31. Dadar & Nagar Haveli Additional Charge
and Daman & Die
32. Delhi Additional Charge
33. Jammu Kashmir Independent
34. Ladakh Additional Charge
35. Lakshadweep Additional Charge
36. Puducherry Additional Charge
List of State-wise details of State Commissioner for PwDs
S. No. State State Commissioner for PwDs
(Independent/ Additional charge)1. Andhra Pradesh Additional Charge
2. Arunachal Pradesh Additional Charge
3. Assam Additional Charge
4. Bihar Additional Charge
5. Chhattisgarh Additional Charge
6. Goa Independent
7. Gujarat Independent
8. Haryana Independent
9. Himachal Pradesh Additional Charge
10. Jharkhand Additional Charge
11. Karnataka Independent
12. Kerala Independent
13 Madhya Pradesh Additional Charge
14. Maharashtra Independent
15. Manipur Independent
16. Meghalaya Independent
17. Mizoram Independent
18. Nagaland Additional Charge
19. Odisha Independent
20. Punjab Independent
21. Rajasthan Vacant
22. Sikkim Additional Charge
23. Tamil Nadu Independent
24. Telangana Additional Charge
25. Tripura Additional Charge
26. Uttarakhand Additional Charge
27. Uttar Pradesh Independent
28. West Bengal Additional Charge
29. Andaman & Nicobar Independent
Islands
30. Chandigarh Independent
31. Dadar & Nagar Haveli Additional Charge
and Daman & Die
32. Delhi Additional Charge
33. Jammu Kashmir Independent
34. Ladakh Additional Charge
35. Lakshadweep Additional Charge
36. Puducherry Additional Charge