Upgrade your UPSC exam preparation and reach closer to your IAS dream with our Current Affairs Dialog box wherein we discuss crucial issues of national and international importance. In today’s edition, we will discuss Draft National Policy for the Person with Disability and its relevance to the UPSC CSE syllabus.

Click here to read our yesterday’s edition of Current Affairs in case you missed reading it.

For Prelims: Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives for Persons with Disabilities (PwD)

For Mains: Social Empowerment, Welfare Schemes, Indian Society

Why in the News?

Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has invited public feedback on the new draft national policy on persons with disabilities (PwD).

Probable Question

Discuss the issues related to persons with disabilities (PwD). Also discuss the measures that have been taken by the government for disabled community.

Key Points

Draft National Policy for Persons with Disabilities

About

• Taking the note of research findings that show one-third of disabilities in children are preventable if detected early, the new draft National Policy for Persons with Disabilities will replace the 2006 policy once approved.

Key Provisions

• Certification: The district medical authorities ensure that the disability certificate is issued within 30 days of receipt of the application.
• Health: A targeted mission to ensure PwDs get health services that are accessible and affordable.
  • Ayushman Bharat – PMJAY should be aligned with the objective of the RPwD Act and universal coverage for PwDs.
• Employment: Develop National Employment portal for PwDs. Every government and private establishment will report their vacancies to the ministry of labour and employment for updating in the portal.
• Accessibility: All local body building bye-laws will incorporate accessibility standards specified under the existing guidelines or those specified under National Building Code.
  • The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will issue necessary guidelines for making modifications in the personal vehicles being used by PwDs.
• CDEICs (‘Cross-Disability Early Intervention Centres’): It calls for developing a network of ‘Cross-Disability Early Intervention Centres’ in every district of the country.
  • It will provide facilities like screening and identification and referral for rehabilitative services.
  • The EICs would also be given access to the Unique Disability Identification (UDID) portal for helping parents with the assessment and certification of disability.
• Aligned with New Education Policy & RPwD (Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016) Act:
  • The new policy, as per the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has been drawn in keeping with the provisions of the RPwD Act and the vision of the National Education Policy 2020 which promotes inclusive education.

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Constitutional Provisions: Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) states that State shall make effective provisions for securing the right to work, education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, within the limits of its economic capacity and development. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007: It is an international human rights treaty dealing with the rights of disabled people. It was adopted in 2006 in the New York headquarters of the United Nations and entered into force in 2008. India ratified the UNCRPD in October 2007. The Convention follows decades of work by the United Nations to change attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities. It aimed at: Discrimination against people with disabilities must be eliminated. Providing opportunities for people with disabilities to live independently. Making the education system more inclusive. Making sure persons with disabilities are protected against all forms of abuse, violence and exploitation.

Data Point 

• As per the Census 2011, there were 2.68 crore PwDs.
• As per Census 2011, there are about 20.42 lakh children in the age group of 0-9 years who have some form of disabilities – either congenital or acquired. 
• The literacy rate of the total PwD population was about 55%.
• As regards to higher education, only about 5% of PwDs were graduates and above.

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