Govt notifies law on recently passed Disabilities Bill

Government has notified the recently passed Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill which provides for raising reservation in government jobs for persons with benchmark disabilities from 3 to 4 per cent, and in higher education institutes from 3 to 5 per cent, Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said on Friday.

“The Bill was passed by Parliament in the winter session and then it was sent to the President for his assent. After the nod from the President, it was notified on Wednesday,” Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said on the foundation day of the National Trust.

On the occasion, Gehlot launched the mobile app and Facebook Page of the National Trust.

“Through the app, information regarding the schemes and programmes will be disseminated. The Facebook page was launched with an aim to bring together all NGOs and organisation working in this field on the same platform,” Gehlot said.

With the enforcement of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years will have the right to free education.

The legislation has been made to bring Indian laws in line with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Under the newly enacted Act, the types of disabilities have been increased from the existing seven to 21.

The newly added types include mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, specific learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, speech and Language disability, thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities including deaf blindness, acid attack victims and Parkinsons disease.

Also, disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept and government will have the power to add more types of disabilities.

As per the Act, assaulting, insulting, intimidating, denying food to a person with disability or sexually exploiting a differently-abled woman and performing a medical procedure on such women without consent which may lead in termination of pregnancy will draw a jail term up to five years once the law is passed.

Any person who contravenes any provision of the act will be punished with a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh.