Indian Government Invests Over ₹147 Crore to Empower 1.42 Lakh Individuals with Disabilities
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New Delhi, Dec 10 (NationPress) The Union government announced on Tuesday that it has allocated over ₹147 crore to empower 1.42 lakh Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) since 2015.
In a formal response during a Lok Sabha session, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B.L. Verma stated that skill development initiatives have been implemented for individuals with disabilities through both governmental and non-governmental organizations throughout the nation under the National Action Plan for Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities (NAP-SDP). This plan was initiated by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in March 2015.
“Since the inception of this scheme, the Department has delivered skill training to 1.42 lakh PwDs at an expenditure of ₹147.78 crore. Among these individuals, 28,000 have successfully secured employment, either in wage jobs or through self-employment,” Verma mentioned.
“This is a demand-oriented scheme, and funds are disbursed to certified training partners based on their submitted proposals. The Department has urged State Skill Development Missions (SSDM) across all states and Union Territories, including Uttar Pradesh, to promote skill training initiatives for PwDs,” he further explained.
The primary aim of this scheme is to enhance the skills of individuals with disabilities and provide them with quality vocational training, enabling them to achieve gainful employment and become self-sufficient and productive members of society.
Additionally, the Minister of State indicated that the categorization of disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 has expanded from 7 to 21.
Section 34 of the Act mandates a 4 percent reservation for individuals with benchmark disabilities (40 percent or above) in government employment. Moreover, Section 32 stipulates a 5 percent reservation in government or government-aided higher education institutions for persons with benchmark disabilities.
Verma also highlighted that the central government supports various schemes that assist disabled individuals in acquiring or fitting aids and appliances, including motorized tricycles, wheelchairs, prosthetics, orthotics, walking sticks, accessible smartphones, smart canes, low vision aids, and hearing aids.
