Parliament Question: Divyang Kala Shakti

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (DIVYANGJAN) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1495 TO BE ANSWERED ON - 28/07/2026 DIVYANG KALA SHAKTI 1495 : Smt. Shambhavi; Dr. Lata Wankhede Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that 90% of all Central Government buildings and major international airports have been made fully barrier-free as of July 2026, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Ministry has successfully distributed the Unique Disability ID (UDID) cards to over 1 crore beneficiaries to ensure "one-nation-one-card" benefits, if so, the details thereof, State-wise: (c) whether the "Divyang Kala Shakti" initiative has successfully whether cased the artistic talents of divyangjans on international platforms to promote inclusivity, if so, the details thereof, State-wise; (d) whether the Ministry has provided interest-free loans to Divyangjan for setting up technology-driven small businesses through the NHFDC, if so, the details thereof, State- wise;and (e) whether the new "National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation" has commenced its advanced clinical services for the community in the current quarter, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI B. L. VERMA) (a): Since, in terms of Sections 40, 41, 44 and 45 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the appropriate Government is responsible for prescribing accessibility standards and taking necessary measures to ensure accessibility in the physical environment, transportation, information and communication, including appropriate technologies & systems, services and other facilities, the responsibility for implementation rests with the respective Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments/UT Administrations. Accordingly, data relating to the number of accessible Central Government buildings and major international airports is not maintained centrally by this Department. To facilitate the States/UTs, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) implements an Umbrella Scheme- Scheme for Implementation of Rights of Persons 1with Disabilities (SIPDA) Act, 2016 applicable across India. It has a component - “Scheme for Creation of Barrier Free Environment” (CBFE Scheme) through which financial assistance is provided to State/UT Governments on demand basis for creation of barrier free environment in existing government buildings and establishments as per receipt of compliant proposals. (b): The Unique Disability Identity (UDID) sub scheme is a flagship initiative of the Government of India. Under the UDID sub scheme, an online centralized platform namely UDID portal (https://swavlambancard.gov.in/) has been instituted where hospitals authorized by the respective State/UT Governments have been onboarded for issuance of disability certificates and Unique Disability Identity (UDID) cards to the eligible divyangjan. As on 20.07.2026, 1.39 crores e-UDID cards have been issued across the country through the said portal by the hospitals authorized by State/UT Governments. and state-wise details has been attached at Annexure. (c): No dedicated international platform-specific programme has been undertaken under the Divyang Kala Shakti initiative. However, Divya Kala Shakti is a flagship national-level initiative of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, aimed at promoting and showcasing the artistic talents of Divyangjan artists by providing them with a robust national platform, wider visibility, and opportunities for confidence-building. Since its inception, a total of 27 Divya Kala Shakti events have been organised across the country. (d): The National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) has been renamed as the National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC). NDFDC is a Government enterprise dedicated to the economic and overall empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) under the aegis of Department with an objective to provide concessional financial assistance for self-employment, education, and skill development of PwDs. However, presently, NDFDC does not provide interest-free loans to Divyangjan for setting up technology-driven small businesses. (e): The National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR), Sehore under this Department has commenced advanced clinical and rehabilitation services for the community. The Institute is providing multidisciplinary mental health rehabilitation services through Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatric Social Work. Rehabilitation Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Special Education, Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, and other rehabilitation disciplines. The services include OPD-based psychiatric consultation, comprehensive psychosocial and psychological assessment, individual and family counselling, psychosocial interventions, group therapy services, rehabilitation planning, disability certification facilitation, UDID support services, referral services, and community-based rehabilitation initiatives for persons with mental illness and persons with disabilities. ***** 2Annexure State/UT Total Andaman And Nicobar Islands 7139 Andhra Pradesh 975717 Arunachal Pradesh 4849 Assam 252570 Bihar 753500 Chandigarh 13450 Chhattisgarh 279659 Delhi 116754 Goa 13855 Gujarat 510967 Haryana 245475 Himachal Pradesh 112063 Jammu And Kashmir 235337 Jharkhand 217945 Karnataka 955609 Kerala 440693 Ladakh 4376 Lakshadweep 1452 Madhya Pradesh 1026928 Maharashtra 1485529 Manipur 17664 Meghalaya 35124 Mizoram 7737 Nagaland 4329 Odisha 977701 Puducherry 25221 Punjab 389512 Rajasthan 761953 Sikkim 6066 Tamil Nadu 1062212 Telangana 895198 The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu 4856 Tripura 47312 Uttar Pradesh 1726304 Uttarakhand 109517 West Bengal 266569 13991142 ***** 3