This document summarizes the Indian government's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3728 regarding Unique Disability ID (UDID) cards in West Bengal, answered on August 12, 2025.
As per the 2011 Census, West Bengal has a total of 2,017,406 persons with disabilities (PwDs). The category-wise distribution is as follows: Visual Impairment (424,473), Hearing Impairment (315,192), Speech Impairment (147,336), Locomotor Disability (322,945), Mental Retardation (136,523), Mental Illness (71,515), Other Disabilities (402,921), and Multiple Disabilities (196,501).
As of August 6, 2025, 150,901 UDID cards have been issued in West Bengal through the UDID portal (www.swavlambancard.gov.in). The State Government of West Bengal onboarded the centralized system in September 2024, whereas the UDID project was launched by the Central Government in May 2016.
To facilitate increased UDID card issuance in West Bengal, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has undertaken the following steps: (i) Allocated INR 23 lakh to the West Bengal government in 2018-19 for IT infrastructure procurement under the UDID sub-scheme. (ii) Conducted regular meetings between senior department officers and West Bengal state government authorities. (iii) Provided training to medical professionals on using the UDID portal and the revised disability assessment guidelines, with the most recent training held in Kolkata in March 2025.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Social Justice Empowerment: The central government ministry responsible for social justice and empowerment, including disability affairs.
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan): A department under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment specifically focused on the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the unstarred question was raised.
Shri Jagannath Sarkar: Member of Parliament who raised the unstarred question regarding UDID cards in West Bengal.
Unique Disability ID (UDID): A national initiative to create a unique identification card for persons with disabilities.
West Bengal: A state in eastern India, the focus of the question regarding the issuance of UDID cards.
Census 2011: The most recent census of India, used as the source for disability statistics in the document.
SHRI B. L. VERMA: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment who provided the answer to the unstarred question.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT
DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
(DIVYANGJAN)
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No- 3728
FOR ANSWER ON- 12/08/2025
UDID Cards in West Bengal
3728. Shri Jagannath Sarkar:
Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of persons with disabilities in West Bengal as per Census 2011,
disaggregated by category of disability;
(b) the total number of Unique Disability ID (UDID) cards issued in West Bengal so far, and the
reasons for the negligible issuance of UDID cards in the State;
(c) whether the Ministry is aware of the challenges faced in the implementation of the UDID
project in West Bengal; and
(d) the steps taken or proposed by the Ministry to increase the issuance of UDID cards in West
Bengal including awareness campaigns, infrastructural support, or policy measures?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI B. L. VERMA)
(a) As per 2011 Census, there are a total of 20,17,406 persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the
state of West Bengal. The disability-wise distribution of PwDs in West Bengal is annexured.
(b) and (c) As of 6th August 2025, a total of 1,50,901 UDID cards have been issued in the State
of West Bengal through the UDID Portal (Url: www.swavlambancard.gov.in).
The State Government of West Bengal got on-boarded to the centralized system in September
2024, whereas the Central Government launched the UDID Project in May 2016.(d) The steps taken by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities to facilitate
issuance of UDID cards in West Bengal include the following:
i) Release of funds to the tune of Rs. 23 lakh to the State Government of West Bengal for
procurement of IT infrastructure during 2018-19 under the UDID sub-scheme.
ii) Senior officers of the Department hold regular meetings with concerned authorities of the
State Government of West Bengal.
iii) Training has been provided to the medical professionals on the use of the UDID portal and
the latest provisions of the revised disability assessment guidelines. The most recent training on
the revised guidelines was conducted in Kolkata in March 2025.
*****Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3728 to be
answered on 12/08/2025 regarding “UDID Cards in West Bengal”
Category-wise number of Persons with Disabilities in the State of West Bengal as per
Census-2011
Total number In In In In Mental Mental Any Multiple
of persons seeing Hearing Speech Movement Retardation Illness Other Disability
with
disabilities
2017406 424473 315192 147336 322945 136523 71515 402921 196501