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Context - The Union Government has not reconstituted Central Advisory Board (CAB) on Disability since 2020.

Details

• Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the Central Advisory Board (CAB) on Disability must meet every 6 months, but the Union Government has not reconstituted the advisory board since the previous Board’s term ended in November 2020.
• During a press conference, the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister maintained silence when a journalist asked him about the status of the Central Advisory Board on Disability (CAB).
• In 2017, the last time government had appointed the Advisory Board;
  • Its 3-year tenure ended in November 2020.
• The Advisory board work as the “national-level consultative and advisory body on disability matters”.
  • It is the highest policy-making body for disability matters.

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

• The Act replaced the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995.
• India is a signatory of the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The act fulfils the commitment made by India at UNCRPD.
• Under the Act, types of disabilities have been increased from the existing 7 to 21 and it authorized the Central Government to add more types of disabilities.
• The 21 disabilities are;
  • Blindness
  • Low-vision
  • Leprosy Cured persons
  • Hearing Impairment (deaf and hard of hearing)
  • Locomotors Disability
  • Dwarfism
  • Intellectual Disability
  • Mental Illness
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Chronic Neurological conditions
  • Specific Learning Disabilities
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Speech and Language disability
  • Thalassemia
  • Haemophilia
  • Sickle Cell disease
  • Multiple Disabilities including deaf, and blindness.
  • Acid Attack victim
  • Parkinson's disease
• First-time Speech and Language Disabilities and Specific Learning disabilities have been added to the list.
• Acid Attack Victims and Dwarfism are also included in the list of Disability.
• The list of disabilities also included three blood disorders;
  • Thalassemia
  • Haemophilia
  • Sickle Cell disease
• Directed the governments to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others.
• Persons with benchmark disabilities and those with high support will get additional benefits such as reservations in higher education, government jobs, poverty alleviation schemes etc.
• Every child between the age group of 6 and 18 years with the benchmark disability shall have the right to free education.
• Ensure their accessibility in public buildings (both Government and private).
• Reservation in Public vacancies has been increased from 3% to 4% for persons with benchmark disability.
• Central and State Advisory Boards on Disability to serve as the highest policy-making bodies at the Central and State level.
• District-level committees by the State Governments to address local concerns of PwDs.
• National and State Fund to provide financial support to persons with disabilities.
• Strict Punishment and Penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities.
• Special Courts in each district to take cases regarding violation of rights of PwDs.
• The Act provided an effective tool for ensuring their empowerment and true inclusion into mainstream society in an acceptable manner.

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