Different Schemes & Programmes

The following are the major central schemes for rehabilitation of Persons withDisabilities:

  • Scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/ Appliances (ADIP): The Scheme aims at physical rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilitiesthrough provision of assistive aids and appliances.
  • Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS): This is an umbrella scheme thataddresses all aspects of rehabilitation and includes various projects coveringdifferent services ranging from programmes for pre-school and early interventionto rehabilitation of leprosy-cured persons.
  • Scheme for Implementation of PwD Act: Under the scheme, funds are provided forprojects to make public buildings barrier-free, support the institutions at regionaland district level providing services to Persons with Disabilities and creation ofawareness on related issues.

There are also other schemes to support various organizations of theDepartment that are involved in different aspects of rehabilitation of Personswith Disabilities, as given below:

  • Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for Students with Disabilities: Support provided tostudents with disabilities who desire to pursue M.Phil/PhD Courses.
  • Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO): Funds are providedto this Corporation for modernization.
  • National Institutes: Support is provided for activities of the seven Institutes(autonomous bodies) for different type of disabilities, engaged in human resourcedevelopment, rehabilitation and research and development in their respectivefields and also to new centres like ISLRTC & NIIUD.
  • Composite Regional Centres: Support is given to facilitate creation of the requiredinfrastructure and capacity building at state level.
  • District Disability Rehabilitation Centres: Support is given to facilities creation of therequired infrastructure and capacity building at District level.

Reservation for Disabled

The Supreme Court on September 12, 2014 ruled in favour of 3% reservation for differently-abled candidates in civil services, not only at the stage of their appointments but also for departmental promotions. Giving a level-playing field to more than four crore people with disabilities in India, the apex court held that the Centre, states and Union Territories were obligated to implement the rules of reservation for this class in the matters of appointment, selection, direct recruitment, deputation and also for promotions. It asked the Centre to show a big heart and give the differently-abled people their due in all central and state government jobs.

  • The three per cent reservation is to the extent of one per cent each for the blind, hearing and speech impaired, and persons suffering from locomotor disability or cerebral palsy.
  • The Supreme Court had in October 2013 ruled in favour of a minimum three per cent reservation for them in all central and state government jobs. Regretting the denial of opportunities to the differently-abled people in the country, the court had quashed the Centre’s 2005 office memorandum and the government’s claim that the reservation policy not only had to be different for Group A, B C and D posts but the quota had to confine to “identified” posts.

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