News Analysis India

Tag: PwDs

  • Explore how people with disabilities can be appointed in civil services: SC to Centre

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Centre to examine how people with disabilities can be appointed under different categories in civil services.

    A bench of justices S A Nazeer and V Ramasubramanian said sympathy for disability is one aspect but practicality of the decision has also to be taken into account.

    The top court shared an incident where a person in Chennai with 100 per cent blindness was appointed as civil judge junior division and the court interpreters got all orders signed by him and was later posted as editor of a Tamil journal.

    “You please examine. They may not fit into all categories. Sympathy is one aspect, practicality is another aspect,” the bench observed.

    At the outset, Attorney General R Venkatramani, appearing for the Centre, submitted that the government was looking into the matter and sought time.

    The court said it would hear the matter after eight weeks.

    The apex court had on March 25 permitted people with disabilities to apply for the Indian Police Service (IPS), DANIPS and the Indian Railway Protection Force Service (IRPFS) provisionally as their preferences in the civil services and asked them to submit their application forms in this regard to the UPSC by April 1.

    It had passed the order while hearing a plea by the ‘National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled’ challenging the Centre’s August 18, 2021 notification on the ground that it has granted a “blanket exemption” to all categories of posts under the IPS, Delhi, Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Police Service (DANIPS) and IRPFS from the purview of reservation required to be provided thereunder.

    The plea filed in the apex court has said no information is available in the public domain to be able to discern the rationale for grant of blanket exemption by the notification.

    “It is submitted that the impugned notification granting blanket exemption to all posts in the IPS, DANIPS and IRPFS is unconstitutional, contrary to the statute, and is legally unsustainable for the following reasons: exclusion of PwDs (persons with disabilities) from occupying even administrative and other non-combat posts in the IPS, DANIPS AND IRPFS by way of the impugned notification is manifestly arbitrary,” it had claimed.

    The petition had sought quashing of the notification insofar as it grants a blanket exemption from grant of reservation to the PwDs in the IPS, DANIPS and IRPFS.

    It had also sought a direction to the Department of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities to reserve suitable posts for PwDs in the IPS, DANIPS and IRPFS.

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Centre to examine how people with disabilities can be appointed under different categories in civil services.

    A bench of justices S A Nazeer and V Ramasubramanian said sympathy for disability is one aspect but practicality of the decision has also to be taken into account.

    The top court shared an incident where a person in Chennai with 100 per cent blindness was appointed as civil judge junior division and the court interpreters got all orders signed by him and was later posted as editor of a Tamil journal.

    “You please examine. They may not fit into all categories. Sympathy is one aspect, practicality is another aspect,” the bench observed.

    At the outset, Attorney General R Venkatramani, appearing for the Centre, submitted that the government was looking into the matter and sought time.

    The court said it would hear the matter after eight weeks.

    The apex court had on March 25 permitted people with disabilities to apply for the Indian Police Service (IPS), DANIPS and the Indian Railway Protection Force Service (IRPFS) provisionally as their preferences in the civil services and asked them to submit their application forms in this regard to the UPSC by April 1.

    It had passed the order while hearing a plea by the ‘National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled’ challenging the Centre’s August 18, 2021 notification on the ground that it has granted a “blanket exemption” to all categories of posts under the IPS, Delhi, Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Police Service (DANIPS) and IRPFS from the purview of reservation required to be provided thereunder.

    The plea filed in the apex court has said no information is available in the public domain to be able to discern the rationale for grant of blanket exemption by the notification.

    “It is submitted that the impugned notification granting blanket exemption to all posts in the IPS, DANIPS and IRPFS is unconstitutional, contrary to the statute, and is legally unsustainable for the following reasons: exclusion of PwDs (persons with disabilities) from occupying even administrative and other non-combat posts in the IPS, DANIPS AND IRPFS by way of the impugned notification is manifestly arbitrary,” it had claimed.

    The petition had sought quashing of the notification insofar as it grants a blanket exemption from grant of reservation to the PwDs in the IPS, DANIPS and IRPFS.

    It had also sought a direction to the Department of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities to reserve suitable posts for PwDs in the IPS, DANIPS and IRPFS.

  • Railways turning friendlier to Divyangjans, says Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The railways are now becoming friendlier to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) during their journey by trains than earlier in the country by taking various measures of comfort apart from granting them concession in fare. The railways has also put up mechanisms to receive feedback from the PwDs on services and facilities, which are now being provided to them during the journey.

    Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently informed the Lok Sabha that 25% quota in allotment of STD/ISD PCO booths at stations has been reserved for the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), who apply for this service as part of the railways’ move to promote the self-employment.

    An earmarked separate reservation counter has also been set up at almost all railway stations for the ‘Divyangjans’ where they can reach their wheelchairs without any hassle.

     Besides all this, the railway is manufacturing and attaching specially designed coaches known as SLRD (Second class-cum-luggage and Brake van with compartments for Divyangjans) in trains.

    “At every important railway stations, availabilities of escalators, lifts, ramps drinking water taps and toilets suitable for the Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjans) are being ensured by the railway,” the minister said, adding that Braille sing indicators and signage of appropriate visibility have also been provided.

    Vaishnaw further said, “The Railway has already been facilitating a separate compartment earmarked for Divyangjans in the last vehicle in almost all mail and express trains operating with the coaches manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory. These coaches have wider doors wider berths, larger lavatory and wheelchair parking space created inside”.

    The most important one is that the railway has provided additional grab rails inside the toilets for Divyangjans on the sidewall and wash basins and mirrors at suitable heights.

    Now, all LHB(Link Hofmann Busch) coaches, every facility for suitability of Divyangjans are being provided in all trains, which are operating with the rakes of LHB coaches across the country. Sharing details, the railway minister said that 994 disabled-friendly coaches have been manufactured till June 30, 2022.

    “Subject to operational feasibility and availability of such coaches, trains operating with ICF rakes have at least one PwD(Divyangjans) –friendly coach now,” he said, adding that same is being provided in the trains running with rakes of LHB  coaches.

    Unfortunately, such facility is not avaibale with the Rajdhani, the Shatbadi, AC Express including Tejas express but new design LHB Air condition economy coaches are being manufactured with one compartment friendly to Divyangjans.

    “Till now, 348 LHB Air Conditioned Economy coaches have been manufactured with facility for Divyangjans,” the minister added. Besides all this, the railway has made nearly 709 railway stations of category A, A-1 and B fully accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

    “Induction of PwD friendly coaches and other facilities is an ongoing process over Indian Railways to make the entire railway services much friendly and easier to PwDs than earlier,” the minister said.

    NEW DELHI: The railways are now becoming friendlier to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) during their journey by trains than earlier in the country by taking various measures of comfort apart from granting them concession in fare. The railways has also put up mechanisms to receive feedback from the PwDs on services and facilities, which are now being provided to them during the journey.

    Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently informed the Lok Sabha that 25% quota in allotment of STD/ISD PCO booths at stations has been reserved for the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), who apply for this service as part of the railways’ move to promote the self-employment.

    An earmarked separate reservation counter has also been set up at almost all railway stations for the ‘Divyangjans’ where they can reach their wheelchairs without any hassle.

     Besides all this, the railway is manufacturing and attaching specially designed coaches known as SLRD (Second class-cum-luggage and Brake van with compartments for Divyangjans) in trains.

    “At every important railway stations, availabilities of escalators, lifts, ramps drinking water taps and toilets suitable for the Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjans) are being ensured by the railway,” the minister said, adding that Braille sing indicators and signage of appropriate visibility have also been provided.

    Vaishnaw further said, “The Railway has already been facilitating a separate compartment earmarked for Divyangjans in the last vehicle in almost all mail and express trains operating with the coaches manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory. These coaches have wider doors wider berths, larger lavatory and wheelchair parking space created inside”.

    The most important one is that the railway has provided additional grab rails inside the toilets for Divyangjans on the sidewall and wash basins and mirrors at suitable heights.

    Now, all LHB(Link Hofmann Busch) coaches, every facility for suitability of Divyangjans are being provided in all trains, which are operating with the rakes of LHB coaches across the country. Sharing details, the railway minister said that 994 disabled-friendly coaches have been manufactured till June 30, 2022.

    “Subject to operational feasibility and availability of such coaches, trains operating with ICF rakes have at least one PwD(Divyangjans) –friendly coach now,” he said, adding that same is being provided in the trains running with rakes of LHB  coaches.

    Unfortunately, such facility is not avaibale with the Rajdhani, the Shatbadi, AC Express including Tejas express but new design LHB Air condition economy coaches are being manufactured with one compartment friendly to Divyangjans.

    “Till now, 348 LHB Air Conditioned Economy coaches have been manufactured with facility for Divyangjans,” the minister added. Besides all this, the railway has made nearly 709 railway stations of category A, A-1 and B fully accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

    “Induction of PwD friendly coaches and other facilities is an ongoing process over Indian Railways to make the entire railway services much friendly and easier to PwDs than earlier,” the minister said.

  • To help the needy, we have to move fast with security in the Corona period: Smt Bhendia

    Social Welfare Minister Smt. Anila Bhendia inaugurated the departmental quarterly training session on Monday at the State Resource and Rehabilitation Center at Camp Raipur. Officers’ training program will be conducted from January to March 2021. Addressing the officials, Mrs. Bhendia said that the social welfare department is a people-connected department with intimacy and human spirit. The department has served the needy well during the lockdown in the Corona epidemic. Corona infection is not yet over, but we have to move fast with safety. Departmental training will prove to be helpful in this direction. On the occasion, he provided mortgaged tricycle to two PwDs, a normal tricycle to two PwDs and a marriage incentive of Rs 1 lakh to a PwD. Along with this, he distributed 6 smart phones to differently-abled students.

    Smt. Bhendia said that with the guidance provided in the training, the officers and employees will be able to overcome the shortcomings and serve the destitute, differently-abled, persons of third gender, the disabled and the elderly. He said that like private works in Kovid, government work should also be done with caution. More and more PwDs should be provided with special disability identification certificates (UDID cards) by organizing camps in districts and block headquarters. Try to make card work through panchayats, so that people with disabilities can get the benefit of the schemes. This will make their future bright and family happy. He said that people of third gender should also be encouraged to move ahead with the mainstream.

  • Collector Chandan Kumar asked to organize camp in Kanker district from 13 to 30 January for authentication of PwDs

    Camps will be organized at the development level from 10 am to 3 pm from 13 to 30 January, according to the instructions of Collector Chandan Kumar, for the authentication of district’s disabled and to make UDID card. Wednesday January 13 in Sadbhavana Bhawan Pakhanjur, Unmukt Playground in Durgukondal, January 15 day Friday, Janpad Panchayat January 18 Monday in Antagarh, January 20 day Wednesday in Janpad Panchayat Koylibeda, Jan 22 Friday in Janpad Panchayat Bhanupratappur Friday, Shaheed Gandsingh Stadium in Charma A camp will be organized on 27 January Wednesday, 29 January Friday in Unmukt Sports Ground Narharpur and Saturday 30 January in Kodabhat Maidan Primary School, for the authentication of PwDs and for making UDID cards.

    Collector Chandan Kumar has directed the Chief Executive Officers of all Janpad Panchayats and Nagar Panchayats to ensure that all PwDs whose medical certificates are not produced or whose UDID cards are to be made, should be included in the said camps. The persons with disabilities whose UDID card is to be made, have been asked to bring the photocopy of the medical certificate of Aadhaar, photo copy of the Aadhaar card, passport size photo compulsorily, apart from those who have to be made a medical certificate, Aadhaar Instructions have also been given to bring a photocopy of the card, photo of passport size compulsory, as well as the persons with disabilities whose medical certificate is to be renewed, they have been asked to appear along with the medical certificate.