A day after the Central Authorities notified the amended Rights of Individuals with Disabilities (RPwD) Guidelines, 2024, the Nationwide Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), a cross incapacity rights organisation, has sought its rollback on grounds that the brand new guidelines make the method of availing incapacity certificates extra stringent and cumbersome.
A draft of the Guidelines was issued in July by the Division of Empowerment of Individuals with Disabilities (DePwD), Ministry of Social Justice, to hunt views of stakeholders and the amended Guidelines have been printed on Tuesday.
The RPwD Guidelines, 2024, have come within the wake of the IAS probationer Puja Khedkar controversy. The NPRD stated that broadly, the brand new norms put a further burden of proof on individuals with incapacity relatively than fixing accountability inside the system.
Khedekar was dismissed from service earlier in September as a result of alleged forgery in her incapacity and caste certificates.
Broadly, the brand new norms have introduced modifications within the technique of functions made to acquire Distinctive Incapacity Identification (UDID) playing cards and the method of issuance of those playing cards.
One key change amongst them is that solely a medical authority or every other notified competent medical authority can situation incapacity certificates on the district stage. Nevertheless, NPRD had pointed through the session stage that this addition ought to be dropped and instructed that specialists related to non-profits must also be authorised to hold out checks.
The brand new norms additionally launched colour-coded white, yellow and blue UDID playing cards signifying ascending ranges of incapacity, with blue being the best, for individuals having incapacity at 80 per cent and above.
“The NPRD lodges its sturdy protest towards the amendments made to the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities Guidelines, making the method of issuance of incapacity certificates extra stringent and cumbersome. These set of amendments are regressive in nature and can solely add to the already present hurdles for real individuals with disabilities to get licensed, so important for identification, accessing providers and entitlements.
NPRD added that the brand new Guidelines will under no circumstances be capable to deal with the systemic issues uncovered within the wake of the Puja Khedkar case.
“The Khedkar case was a basic instance of manipulation at varied ranges, accountability for which has nonetheless not been fastened. The case is a mirrored image of the dearth of accountability, honesty, transparency and due diligence at a number of ranges, together with on the highest, none of which these amendments search to deal with.
Muralidharan, basic secretary, NPRD, informed The Indian Specific that the organisation with lakhs of individuals with disabilities as its members, will ship a illustration to the ministry towards the brand new norms.
Mentioning among the particular points, he stated the brand new norms make it obligatory to use for the incapacity certificates on-line. “Nevertheless, there are a number of individuals from the group who both would not have entry to the web, smartphones or are digitally illiterate. Throughout on-line functions, individuals are requested to state their particular incapacity. In lots of instances, individuals are not conscious of the technical nomenclature used for his or her particular incapacity,” he defined whereas urging the federal government to retain the choice of making use of in individual.
“We made a number of solutions and expressed many considerations in our illustration despatched on August 27. Nevertheless, they haven’t been considered,” Muralidharan added.
NPRD’s assertion additional said that the extension of the time restrict for issuance of a certificates from one month to 3 months is completely uncalled for.
“The brand new rule asking an individual with incapacity to reapply if no motion has been taken on his utility for 2 lengthy years is unacceptable. The disabled individual shouldn’t be blamed and punished for the failure of the system,” it talked about.
Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, DePwD stated that the federal government’s effort is to be extra pleasant and streamline the method of acquiring incapacity certificates. “I perceive there are some misconceptions however we have now tried to simplify the method. We analysed knowledge on the time taken to situation certificates and it was seen that it often takes three months. Therefore, we have now stated that the certificates ought to be issued in three months,” he informed The Indian Specific.
When requested if the norms have been tightened within the wake of the Puja Khedkar controversy, Aggarwal stated that the problem was below deliberation earlier than the controversy broke and sought to downplay linking of the amendments to the Khedkar situation.
