16 Jul The Draft National Policy on Disability
The Draft National Policy on Disability – Today Current Affairs
Why in news?
The new draft national policy on people with disabilities has been released, and the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has requested public input (PwD).
Today Current Affairs
Status of PwD in India?
According to the 2011 Census, there are 2.68 crore people with disabilities, which means that 2.21 percent of Indians are disabled, compared to the global average of 15 percent.
According to the Census of 2011, the overall PwD population has a literacy rate of roughly 55 percent (males – 62 percent, females – 45 percent).
In terms of higher education, only 5% of PwD are graduate-level students.
Further census data from 2011 reveals that around 36% of all PwD are employed (male -47 percent , female-23 percent ).
What steps were taken to help PwD? The Hindu Analysis
For the purpose of fostering an inclusive environment for PwD, the Persons with Disability (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 was passed, which recognised 7 types of disabilities.
The National Policy for Persons with Disabilities was developed by the Central Government in 2006 and is founded on the concepts of equality, freedom, justice, and respect for all people.
India joined the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a party in 2007. (UNCRPD).
The United Nations approved the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 with the aim of promoting inclusive and peaceful societies.
There are 21 different types of disability recognised by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The Hindu Analysis
India is a signatory to the “Incheon Strategy for Asia Pacific Decade for PwD: 2013-2022,” which was created under the auspices of UNESCAP and lays out 10 objectives for the Asia-Pacific nations to achieve in order to promote the inclusion and empowerment of PwD.
The Unique Disability ID (UDID) project, which aims to create a national database for people with disabilities, has begun implementation by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
About the current draft : The Hindu Analysis
The draft was created by a committee under the direction of Anjali Bhawra, secretary of the Department of Empowerment of PwD.
Revision of the current policy: According to the Draft National Policy on PwD, 2021, the 2006 draft of the current national policy on disability called for a revision.
The draft went beyond the conventional causes of disability by including other elements, such as undernourishment, medical malpractice, socio-cultural problems, and impairment brought on by disasters.
Prevention: It asked for the creation of a thorough national prevention programme that would include both the risk cases of other diseases as well as the disabilities imposed by the RPD Act. The Hindu Analysis
According to the proposal, if disabilities in children were identified early enough, one-third of them could be avoided.
Permission and recognition of educational institutions: According to the policy, when granting permission or recognition to educational institutions, States and Union Territories should include a clause requiring compliance with the RPD Act.
Disability module—MBBS and other medical programmes should contain a disability module. The Hindu Analysis
Accessible vehicles: According to the requirements, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will issue the required instructions for modifying personal automobiles used by people with disabilities.
A specific commitment to education, health, skill development, employment, sports, culture, social security, accessibility, and other institutional processes is highlighted in the policy statement.
What challenges do PwDs encounter in terms of political inclusion? The Hindu Analysis
Political empowerment: The Incheon objectives, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and other initiatives encourage PwD participation in political debate and decision-making.
There is no policy commitment in India that aims to increase the political involvement of individuals with disabilities.
Disability marginalisation has been made worse by obstacles to party politics involvement and a lack of representation at the municipal, state, and federal levels. The Hindu Analysis
Voting accessibility issues: According to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, the Election Commission of India and the State Election Commissions are required to make sure that all polling places and the electoral process are accessible to people with disabilities.
However, not all polling places have wheelchair accessibility or even electronic voting machines that can read braille.
Lack of data: The marginalisation of handicapped persons is exacerbated by the absence of current aggregate statistics on the precise number of disabled people in each constituency. The Hindu Analysis
Inadequate Representation: At all three tiers of government, there is not enough representation for people with disabilities.
Sadhan Gupta, the first visually impaired member of India’s independent parliament, is hardly ever mentioned in discussions of politics or disabilities.
To increase participation, just a few States have started the project at the municipal level. The Hindu Analysis
For instance, Chhattisgarh initiated the nomination of at least one person with a disability in each panchayat.
What is the need of the hour? The Hindu Analysis
A four-pronged strategy can be used by the policy to attain political inclusivity.
Building the ability of organisations for disabled people and empowering their members via instruction in the political process and governmental framework
creation, modification, or abolition of legal and regulatory frameworks by lawmakers and electoral agencies to promote the involvement of the disabled in politics. The Hindu Analysis
the involvement of civil society in domestic election surveillance or voter education initiatives
Framework for political parties to effectively reach out to people with disabilities when drafting election campaign strategies and policy stances.
In this article we mention all information about The Draft National Policy on Disability Today Current Affairs.
Plutus ias current affairs 16 July 2022
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