Shameer Rishad, an advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities, critiques Indian government schemes for "harming and disempowering disabled Indians"
This op-ed article was written by Shameer Rishad, who is a member of the third cohort of the Japan-India Transformative Technology Network. All views expressed here are his own and do not represent those of his organization.
At first, it may be incomprehensible to digest the fact that a large majority of disabled Indians still lack access to basic human rights and services. When you look closely, you will find that the system that is supposed to empower people with disabilities in India is not only dysfunctional but is actively harming and disempowering disabled Indians.
This is proven by the fact that all schemes implemented by the Central Government of India through the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) have failed to achieve their objectives. By analyzing the following schemes along with the comments made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, which is dominated in numbers by members of the ruling party, I hope to document the tragic reality and hope for a better future under the new coalition government in India.
Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme
The Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) was envisioned to create rehabilitation centers across India at a district level, aiming to ensure dignified living for disabled citizens. Launched over two decades ago, it promised a decentralized approach to disability services by setting up District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRCs).
As of March 30, 2024, India comprises a total of 806 districts. DEPwD reported its first instance of failure by stating that “325 Districts were initially identified for establishing DDRC, out of which, DDRCs were set up in 269 districts. About 55-60 DDRCs are functional”.
Further, it was reported that DEPwD has not been able to achieve its physical targets since the year 2019 to 2020; it had the worst performance in the year 2021 to 2022, as the DEPwD reported that only 16,668 beneficiaries out of the target of 40,000 beneficiaries. The Committee scrutinized DEPwD, stating that “The performance of the Department perhaps needs to be reviewed as it has neither been able to spend the full budgetary allocation for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 nor been able to achieve the targets”.
The grim reality of DDRS’s underachievement highlights the disconnect between policy and execution. Despite “lofty” promises of planning to cover 269 out of 806, or 33%, of the districts in India, the scheme has excluded countless disabled individuals by managing to set up and maintain only 60 DDRCs across the country over a span of 20 years, accounting for only 7.5% of the total number of districts.
Scheme of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
Access to education is a fundamental right and through the six subheads of the Scheme of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities (SSSD), the central government promises to bridge the gap by offering support to disabled students. However, not a single component has succeeded in achieving its respective target.
The DEPwD underutilized the budget each year from 2019 to 2022, while also letting the estimates stagnate for the year 2022 to 2023.
Two key components of the SSSD umbrella scheme include the National Fellowship for Persons with Disabilities (NFPwD) and another initiative known as Free Coaching. DEPwD claims to have successfully administered all aspects of NFPwD, however, in reality, disabled PhD Scholars selected under the NFPwD have been advocating for years to receive their dues.
Under the Free Coaching initiative, no students received benefits from 2019 to 2022, as DEPwD did not establish coaching institutes nor develop guidelines for the sensitization of coaching institutes with regards to disability. The parliamentary committee made multiple statements regarding the SSSD umbrella scheme debacle, including stating, “The Committee are perturbed to note that the budgetary allocation under six schemes of scholarships/fellowship for students with disabilities has not only remained stagnant but also the target fixed under each of these schemes have not been achieved”.
A failure to deliver support in a sector as critical as education reflects the broader inefficacy of disability rights and welfare in India. The stagnation and lack of accountability within SSSD reveal a systemic neglect of the country’s disabled population.
Centre for Disability Sports
The Centre for Disability Sports (CDS) scheme was announced in the budget speech for the year 2014-2015 by the then-Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram, with the hope that disabled Indian athletes would be able to compete and win medals in Paralympics, Deaflympics, Special Olympics, and other international events for sportspersons with disabilities.
As per the scheme, five Centres for Disability Sports were proposed to be established in five different zones of the country. Although disabled sportspersons are making the nation proud, as proven by the Indian Paralympic Contingent winning 29 medals and placing 18th overall in the 2024 paralympics, work on only one out of five centers has been completed as of 2023.
The absence of tangible progress since 2014 is not just a missed opportunity for India’s athletes, but a symbol of the broader marginalization of the disabled community in India. The government's failure to fulfil its promises while duplicitously trading on the success of disabled athletes for political gain demonstrates a lack of genuine commitment to disability empowerment.
National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation
This scheme set out to empower and develop an ecosystem where disabled entrepreneurs can succeed in creating profitable businesses. However, even the name of the scheme is outdated, offensive, and derogatory.
In this case, the Central Government of India decided to reduce the budgets of the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC). To aid the situation, the parliamentary committee made the following points: “The Committee are surprised to note that the Budgetary Allocation to NHFDC has been stopped by the Government since 2020-21 as the Government has decided not to enhance equity of the Organisation”. Since DEPwD did not raise an eyebrow on the issue of non-enhancement of equity, the committee commented, “Divyangjan (disabled people) should not be made to suffer for want of funds. The Committee feel that unavailability of annual funds from the Department to NHFDC would hamper the objective of the Corporation”.
The committee further scrutinized the government by stating, “The Committee are not convinced with the decision of the Government, particularly in the circumstances when they are promoting entrepreneurship under Atmanirbhar Bharat and Skill India Mission”.
Unfortunately, the outdated and offensive nomenclature, combined with the government’s decision to halt funding, has eroded the NHFDC's potential. This move undermines the very principles of self-reliance promoted by national campaigns like Atmanirbhar Bharat, leaving disabled entrepreneurs without crucial support.
Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchasing/Fitting of Aids/Appliances
The Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchasing/Fitting of Aids/Appliances (ADIP) scheme aimed to provide essential aids and appliances to persons with disabilities, helping them lead more independent lives. However, it was reported that there were no financial or physical targets set for the entire scheme. At the outset, this begs the question of how there can be accountability or monitoring and evaluation without proper target setting.
Other than the obvious lack of accountability, the parliamentary committee questioned DEPwD, as they could not understand the logic behind reducing the targets from 2021 to 2023, particularly when the list of recognized disabilities has increased from 7 to 21 with the enactment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act in 2016.
The Committee was further perturbed to note that the Ministry of Rural Development only provides a disability pension of ₹300 ($4) per month to persons with disabilities aged 18 to 79 years and ₹500 ($6) per month for persons with disabilities aged 80 years or older who have severe or multiple disabilities and are below the poverty line.
Without proper monitoring and accountability, the ADIP scheme has become yet another example of bureaucratic negligence. Its failure to serve the rising number of disabled individuals further illuminates the systemic flaws in India’s disability welfare system.
A Challenging Way Forward
Advancing disability rights in India becomes extremely challenging as we realize that the foundation of state welfare for marginalized communities exists merely on paper. State stakeholders lack the sensitivity or the technical capacity to do the bare minimum. Further, due to a lack of data published by the government, it has become harder to push for changes within the system.
Looking at this holistic dysfunction of the state, I wonder where disability rights activists like myself should start their advocacy. Even with robust legislation like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act in 2016, the state machinery responsible for providing basic services has failed, as not a single scheme achieved its targets.
By failing to properly implement disability welfare schemes, the state machinery continues to actively disempower persons with disabilities.
Shameer Rishad is the founder and convenor of the Javed Abidi Foundation, leading initiatives challenging societal perceptions of disability. Shameer is a diversity, equity, and inclusion activist who advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities and other marginalized communities. He also serves as the secretary general of the Religions for Peace Asia Pacific Interfaith Youth Network, where he implements youth programs that foster interfaith collaboration for peace and harmony among communities. He can be reached on twitter @RishadShameer.
