Parliament Question: Empowerment of Divyangjans

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 255 ANSWERED ON 22/07/2025 Empowerment of Divyangjans 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.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. *****