Syllabus:

GS-2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context: Recently, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) released data showing that the representation of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) in the Central Government workforce in India has remained almost stagnant at around 1% for more than a decade.

Key Facts from the Data

• Stagnant Representation: According to data from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), PwD employee strength in Central Ministries and departments has stayed in a range of 13,000 to 22,000 since 2011, accounting for 0.5% to 1.1% of all posts.
• Representation of the PwDs: As of January 2022, the last available date for the DoPT data, PwDs made up 21,874 employees (1.15%) in Central ministries. Their highest representation was in Group C (Safai Karmachari) at 1.93%, followed by Group B at 1.53%, Group C (non-Safai Karmachari) at 1.1%, and Group A at 1%. In 2011, they were 15,747 less than 1% of the workforce.
• Marginal Rise: In absolute terms, the number of PwD employees in Central government posts rose marginally from 20,000 in 2016 to 22,000 in 2022.
• Ambiguity in Allocation of Seats: Recently, the Supreme Court raised concerns that Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) who qualify on merit are being counted against reserved posts and asked the Centre whether such candidates are shifted to unreserved seats to allow others in the category to benefit from the quota.

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

• Replaces the 1995 Act: The Act replaces the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. It fulfils the obligations to the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), to which India is a signatory.
• Extended Definition of Disability: The Act increased the number of recognised disabilities from 7 to 21, including conditions such as haemophilia and sickle cell anemia.
• Reservation in Education and Employment: Provides 5% reservation in seats of Government and Government-aided higher educational institutions and 4% reservation in Government jobs for persons with benchmark disabilities.
• Benchmark Disability: A person is classified as having a benchmark disability if they have at least 40% of the specified disability.
• Guardianship: The Act provides for the grant of guardianship by District Court under which there will be joint decision making between the guardian and the persons with disabilities.
• Right to Free Education: Every child with a benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have the right to free education.

Causes of Low Representation

• Implementation Lapses: Many ministries do not proactively recruit or properly identified and earmark posts for PwDs.
• Recruitment Barriers: Inaccessible physical infrastructure, lack of reasonable accommodations  and rigid job stipulations often exclude different types of disabilities.
• Weak Monitoring & Accountability: Although data is collected, there is minimal follow-up or corrective action when quotas are not met.
• Socio-Economic & Educational Challenges: Limited access to quality education, skill development, and social stigma which reduce their employability.
• Information Asymmetry: many PwDs remain unaware of their rights and of vacancies reserved for them.

Way Forward

• Systematic Identification of Posts: Conduct a comprehensive review of all cadres to earmark suitable posts for PwDs across disability categories.
• Enhanced Accessibility: Ensure full accessibility in offices, examinations, and digital platforms, along with support such as screen readers, scribes, and adaptive devices.
• Capacity Building & Skill Development: Provide targeted training and digital skilling through partnerships with universities, IITs, and skill centres to improve employability.
• Accountability & Monitoring: Mandate annual PwD recruitment reports from ministries and enforce penalties for non-compliance with reservation norms.
• Stronger Department of Personnel & Training Oversight: Department of Personnel & Training should keep updated data, audit compliance, and publish department-wise performance for transparency.

Sources:
The Hindu
Social Welfare