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EMPOWERING THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED
India has one of the largest disabled population in the world. As per census 2011, the percentage of disabled is 2.21% and majority of them live in rural areas. Persons with disability are more vulnerable to exclusion from the socio-economic domains as they have poor access to infrastructure, education and skill development.
Why social security necessary for differently abled/disabled? Traditionally informal security system of family in India has been impacted due to industrial revolution, modernization and urbanization and job opportunities in cities, individualistic attitude of children, etc. This necessitates the state to take steps for social security. Also, India is a party to UN Convention on 'Rights of persons with disabilities'. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that they enjoy full equality under the law. The Convention has served as the major catalyst in the global movement from viewing persons with disabilities as objects of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing them as full and equal members of society, with human rights. Hence, Indian social security system has specific schemes for the Disabled/differently-abled.
Constitutional Provisions for differently abled/disabled Art 41 of the Indian Constitution speaks of State’s responsibility to provide social security to citizens of this country. It states that the State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provisions for securing the right to work, to education, and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement.
Act/ Legal provisions for differently abled/disabled Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 has provision of preventive social security measures such as pre-natal and post-natal care for the mother and child, mentions unemployment allowance and insurance, and supports the rights of disabled people and so on. Key features of the Act are- • Reservation in vacancies in government establishments has been increased from 3% to 4% for certain persons or class of persons with benchmark disability. • Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have the right to free education. • District level committees will be constituted by the State Governments to address local concerns of PwDs (persons with disabilities). • Special Courts will be designated in each district to handle cases concerning violation of rights of PwDs. • Broad-based Central & State Advisory Boards on Disability are to be set up to serve as apex policy-making bodies at the Central and State level. • Office of Chief Commissioner and those of the State Commissioners of Persons with Disabilities has been strengthened. • The Act says that any person who “intentionally insults or intimidates with intent to humiliate a person with a disability in any place within public view” is punishable with imprisonment.
Other Benefits/ Schemes for differently abled by government of India 1. Tax: Persons with disabilities and their legal guardians are eligible for income tax deduction.
2. Education: • Provided 4% reservation in government and government aided educational institutions. • Financial assistance is provided for procuring computer for students with visual impairment/ hearing impairment for pursuing graduation and post-graduation. • National Scholarship for students with disabilities. Criteria: 40% disability and family monthly income should not exceed 15000 rupees. • Comprehensive Education Scheme for Disabled Children: The scheme provide for accessible and barrier free built-in-infrastructure and transport facilities, supply of books, special learning aids and scholarships for students with disabilities. • Extra time in examinations for disabled students, exemption from third language and modification of curriculum for inclusive education. • Inclusive Education for the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) – This scheme supports children with disabilities aged 14 or above for completing their secondary education from class 9 to 12 in government aided schools. • Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship Scheme: Provides scholarships to persons with disabilities to pursue higher education such as M Phil/ Ph D for five years. Cover all universities and institutions under UGC (University Grant Commission).
3. Employment: • Government has reserved 5% posts in Group A, B, C and D positions in government PSUs, PSBs and services for persons with disabilities. • Persons with disabilities are given age relaxation for recruitment in government positions. • They exempted from payment of application and examination fees. • Persons with disabilities are given preference in postings nearest to their native places. • Government has established special employment exchanges and special employment cells for recruitments to government posts reserved for persons with disabilities. However, they need to require register themselves with these first. • In private sector, the government provides incentives to employers for employment of persons with disabilities. For instance, the government pays the employer’s contribution of the disabled employee’s provident fund. • Under the ‘Scheme for Public Sector Banks for Orphanages, Women’s Homes and Physically Handicapped Persons’, the benefits of the differential rate of interest are available to physically disabled persons as well as institutions working for the welfare of the disabled people.
4. Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP Scheme) – The main objective of the scheme is to assist needy persons with disabilities in procuring durable sophisticated and scientifically manufactured aid and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation.
5. Indira AwaasYojana - It is a centrally sponsored housing scheme for providing dwelling units free of cost to rural poor living below the poverty line at a unit coat of Rs.20,000 in plains and Rs.22,000 in the hill/difficult areas. Three percent of its funds are reserved for the benefit of disabled persons living below of the poverty line in rural areas.
6. Scheme of National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities – In order to recognise their effort and encourage others to strive to achieve excellence in this field, separate awards are being presented to the most outstanding employees with disabilities, best employers, best placement agency/officer, outstanding individuals and for outstanding technological innovation and adaptation of innovation to provide cost effective technology.
7. Trust Fund for the empowerment of persons with disabilities – An excess of Rs.723.79 crores annually from the borrowers through rounding off in collection of interest tax, should be transfer to Trust Fund which would be use for the welfare of the disabled people.
8. Technology Development Projects in Mission Mode – A scheme started during 1990-91 with a view to provide suitable and cost effective aids and appliances through application of technology and to increase employment opportunities of the disabled people.
9. Disability benefit – The ‘Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923’, requires the employer to pay compensation to employees or their families in case of employment related injuries that result in death or disability. But it is applicable only to organised sector.
10. Inclusive India Initiative – A conference for the persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). • It aims to include these people in the mainstream and in all-important aspects of social life. • Namely three core focus areas: Inclusive Education, Inclusive Employment and Inclusive Community Life. • It is an initiative of National Trust. • National Trust is a statutory body of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It was envisaged with core mission of providing opportunities for capacity development of Persons with Disabilities and their families, fulfilling their rights and promoting an inclusive society.
Challenges:
• Social and Physical barriers that surround disabled people led to inaccessibility of the Social Security Programmes. • Coverage is not comprehensive and these schemes do not comprehensively address the problems of differently abled people. • Lack of information and dissemination and absence of a single window approach often led to unawareness about the different schemes to differently abled people.
Way Forward: • It is suggested that multiplicity of departments or agencies need to be integrated together to have a comprehensive programme design and implementation policy. • Need to introduce a Component Plan for the Disabled in the budget of all concerned ministries in order to ensure a regular flow of funds for schemes for the empowerment of the differently abled. • Focus should be given more on preventive social security schemes. • More resources need to be mobilised from national and international agencies, NGOs, etc. i.e. Corporate Social Responsibility need to be bolstered. • Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 need to be implemented strictly. • The decision to publish government documents in the electronic publication (e-PUB) or optical character reader (OCR) based pdf format on portals is good in this regard. (India has a party to the "Marrakesh Treaty" and hence has to take steps to protect rights of the Print Disabled) • Recently government awarded Khel Ratna (country's greatest sporting award) to Devendra Jhajharia (javelin gold medalist at Athens and Rio Paralympics). This recognition will go a long way in ensuring that differently abled athletes will henceforth be considered at par with the bale bodied. Such recognitions form other fields too will go a long way in boosting the morale of differently abled in India. (Related Article - Empowering the differently abled, Page - 27 by Sandhya Limaye)
By: Deepak Hooda ProfileResourcesReport error
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