Govt says over 50,000 buses, 1,800 buildings made accessible under Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
Accessible India Campaign
(
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
), a flagship programme launched in 2015 to improve access for persons with disabilities (PwDs).
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B L Verma said Rs 564.50 crore had been released to states and Union territories for retrofitting 1,835 government buildings to make them accessible.
Productivity Tool
Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide
By Metla Sudha Sekhar
View Program
Finance
Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory
By Dinesh Nagpal
View Program
Finance
Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code
By CA Rahul Gupta
View Program
Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel
By Neil Patel
View Program
Finance
Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading
By Kunal Patel
View Program
Productivity Tool
Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide
By Study at home
View Program
Artificial Intelligence
AI For Business Professionals Batch 2
By Ansh Mehra
View Program
"As accessibility is an ongoing and continuous process, the Department is actively pursuing with the concerned stakeholders for achieving universal accessibility," he said.
The Ministry of Railways reported significant progress, including the installation of ramps at 5,639 stations, accessible parking at 2,525 stations and accessible toilets at 4,829 stations, he said.
Wheelchairs are now available at more than 5,854 stations. To assist visually impaired passengers, train stations have been equipped with tactile paths, Coach Guidance Systems (947 stations), Train Indication Boards (1,143 stations), and Public Address Systems (6,133 stations), he added.
Live Events
The Ministry of
Road Transport
and Highways said that 51,041 of the 1.45 lakh buses operated by 61 state transport undertakings across 24 states and Union territories have been made accessible.
Of these, 25,216 are intercity coaches and 25,825 are intracity buses. Additionally, 75 per cent of bus stations (2,521 out of 3,363) have undergone accessibility retrofitting.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that 145 websites, including 123 Central and four state government websites, have been certified accessible under the STQC (Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification) as per Guidelines for Indian Government Websites guidelines.
A further 676 State and UT government websites have been made accessible, and over 3,000 websites have been onboarded to the S3WaaS (Secure, Scalable & Sugamya Website as a Service) platform.
The government is also distributing assistive devices under the 'Assistance to Persons with Disabilities for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP)' scheme.
These include artificial limbs, hearing aids, smart canes, smartphones and motorised tricycles for eligible persons with disabilities, including school-going children under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, the minister said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
26 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Microfinance portfolio contracts further to Rs 3.59 lakh cr
Synopsis India's microfinance market experienced a contraction, with the gross loan portfolio declining to Rs 3.59 lakh crore by June 2025. Lenders are prioritizing responsible lending and addressing overleveraging, leading to a decrease in borrowers with multiple lender associations. While early-stage delinquencies improved, later-stage stress remains a concern, indicating a shift towards quality-focused lending. Agencies Representative image Kolkata: The size of India's microfinance market contracted further to Rs 3.59 lakh crore at the end of June, down 5.8% quarter-on-quarter and 17% year-on-year as lenders remained circumspect over growing lending portfolio. The active loan accounts fell to 13.2 crore from 15.93 crore, with the live customer base declining to 8 crore from 8.66 between June 2024 and June 2025. The data were compiled and shared by credit bureau Credit High Mark. The sectoral gross loan portfolio started falling from the first quarter of FY25 after it reached a record high of Rs 4.43 lakh crore at the end of March 2024. It fell to Rs 4.32 lakh crore at the end of June 2024. The moderation aligns with the Reserve Bank of India's push for responsible lending, alongside guardrails from self-regulatory organisations to curb overleveraging, it said. Over the last few quarters, the issue of overlending has also been addressed. Borrowers with four or more active lender associations fell sharply to 10% in June 2025, from 19.2% a year earlier. Over the last 12 months, about 60% of all loans were extended to existing customers with proven repayment histories. Loans above Rs 1 lakh increased in portfolio share to 8.3% as of June 2025 from 4.6% a year back, with 80% of it going to borrowers with a vintage of more than 24 months. The credit bureau said that the portfolio performance has shown green shoots with early- and mid-stage delinquency levels (PAR 31–90) improved from 3.1% in December 2024 and 2.7% in March 2025 to 2.4% in June 2025, signalling strengthening repayment discipline. However, stress in later-stage buckets (PAR 180+ including write-offs) continued to rise, reaching 12.4% in June 2025 from 5.2% in June 2024, underscoring ongoing challenges. The performance highlighted a shift towards quality-focused lending, said CRIF High Mark chairman Sachin Seth. "Lenders prioritised established borrowers, reduced overleveraging, and adjusted ticket sizes in line with risk considerations. The data also highlights early improvements in portfolio quality, with mid-stage delinquencies showing some improvement over the past two quarters,' he said.
Economic Times
26 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Has ICICI Bank taken a U-turn on Rs 50,000 monthly average balance? Here's what it's website shows
ET Online (Representative image) ICICI Bank has lowered its minimum balance requirement for savings account to Rs 15,000 from the earlier Rs 50,000 as announced. ICICI Bank has lowered its minimum balance requirement for savings account to Rs 15,000 for new savings accounts opened from August 1, 2025. ICICI Bank said: "We had introduced new requirements for the Monthly Average Balance (MAB) for new Savings Accounts opened from August 1, 2025. Following valuable feedback from our customers, we have revised these requirements to better reflect their expectations and preferences." According to the ICICI Bank website, the monthly minimum average balance (MAB) for urban locations is now Rs 15,000. Prior to this change it was Rs 50,000. For semi-urban locations the MAB is now revised to Rs 7,500. Previously, the MAB stood at Rs 25,000 for semi urban areas. Also read: Rs 4.58 crore stolen from ICICI bank customers: Broke FDs, created overdraft and personal loan; how relationship manager executed fraud Available in All cities Eligibility Resident Indian below 60 years Minimum monthly averagebalance (MAB)* (MAB is thesimple average of day-endbalances for a calendarmonth) Metro and Urban locations - Rs 15,000Semi-urban locations - Rs 7,500Rural locations- Rs 2,500Pensioners (Below 60 Years) and Students of 1200 selectinstitutes – Nil MAB This SOC is applicable to Savings Account, Account for Pensioners (Below 60Years) and Minors• Programme: Select Banking, Wealth Management andPrivate Banking• Savings Account integrated with Demat & TradingAccount (3-in-1 Account) Source: ICICI Bank website ( Please note: This Schedule of Charges (SOC) and MAB requirements are not applicable to Salary Accounts, Senior Citizens / Pensioners (Above 60 years), BSBDA/PMJDY, and Accounts for people with special needs. They are also not applicable to Savings Accounts opened before July 31, 2025. We have sent our queries to ICICI bank and are waiting for their response. Also read: ICICI Bank branch manager duped depositors of crores for years to meet targets. How is Minimum monthly average balance (MAB) calculated? MAB is the simple average of day-end balances for a calendar month. MAB is calculated by dividing the closing day balances in your account every single day, and dividing them by 30, or 31, whatever the length of the ongoing month has been. In the case of ICICI Bank, if the individual failed to maintain this MAB, they would be penalised 6% of the shortfall, or Rs 500, whichever is lower. Following this, in case the MAB in your account came down to Rs 9500, you'll be required to pay penalty of 6% on the shortfall of Rs 500, i.e. Rs these rules were not applicable to existing ICICI customers i.e. those who held an account with the bank before August 1, 2025, the rules significantly impacted those opening an account with the bank post this date. While calculating MAB, it is important to remember that you are not required to maintain the MAB in your account at all times. This means that in case the MAB stipulated by your bank is Rs 10000, it does not mean that you are required to have Rs 10,000 in your account at all times. It simply means that the average of your daily closing balances should come down to 10,000. N.R. Narayana Murthy Founder, Infosys Watch Now Harsh Mariwala Chairman & Founder, Marico Watch Now Adar Poonawalla CEO, Serum Institute of India Watch Now Ronnie Screwvala Chairperson & Co-founder, upGrad Watch Now Puneet Dalmia Managing Director, Dalmia Bharat group Watch Now Martin Schwenk Former President & CEO, Mercedes-Benz, Thailand Watch Now Nadir Godrej Managing Director, of Godrej Industries Watch Now Manu Jain Former- Global Vice President, Xiaomi Watch Now Nithin Kamath Founder, CEO, Zerodha Watch Now Anil Agarwal Executive Chairman, Vedanta Resources Watch Now Dr. Prathap C. Reddy Founder Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Watch Now Vikram Kirloskar Former Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Watch Now Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited Watch Now Shashi Kiran Shetty Chairman of Allcargo Logistics, ECU Worldwide and Gati Ltd Watch Now Samir K Modi Managing Director, Modi Enterprises Watch Now R Gopalakrishnan Former Director Tata Sons, Former Vice Chairman, HUL Watch Now Sanjiv Mehta Former Chairman / CEO, Hindustan Unilever Watch Now Dr Ajai Chowdhry Co-Founder, HCL, Chairman EPIC Foundation, Author, Just Aspire Watch Now Shiv Khera Author, Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker Watch Now Nakul Anand Executive Director, ITC Limited Watch Now RS Sodhi Former MD, Amul & President, Indian Dairy Association Watch Now Anil Rai Gupta Managing Director & Chairman, Havells Watch Now Zia Mody Co-Founder & Managing Partner, AZB & Partners Watch Now Arundhati Bhattacharya Chairperson & CEO, Salesforce India Watch Now
Economic Times
26 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Former Manipur CM Biren Singh calls for unity beyond politics to restore peace in state
Synopsis On Patriots Day, former Manipur CM N. Biren Singh called for unity to restore peace, honoring those who fought against the British in 1891. He urged people to set aside differences for the state's future, while Manipur Congress President criticized the Union government's peace plan amidst ongoing ethnic violence that has displaced thousands. PTI Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh (File photo) Guwahati: Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh urged people to remain united irrespective of ideology and political mindset to restore peace and normalcy in the state. Manipur Congress President, Keisham Meghachandra Singh stated that the Union government has no real and realistic roadmap to restore peace in Manipur. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 134th Patriots Day celebrations, former Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh said that despite knowing that they would be defeated, Yubraj Tikendrajit, Thangal General, Chirai Naga, and others fought a war in 1891 against the British empire."Patriots Day is a commemoration to show respect and pay tribute to those warriors who sacrificed their lives for their motherland in the historic battle 134 years ago. Manipur has the legacy of those forefathers," said singh. He added that despite different political ideologies, diverse thinking and separate perspectives, people must unite for the greater interest of the state and restore peace and normalcy with joint efforts. "We have to re-establish peace and harmony for the interest of the future generation. I urge all to come forward unitedly for the sake of development of the state and welfare of all," he said. The former Chief Minister earlier said that a popular government must be elected at the earliest to take forward the development of the state. Patriots Day is observed every year in Manipur on August 13 to commemorate the hanging of Bir Tikendrajit and Thangal General by the British on this day in 1891 for waging war against the British empire. Manipur is under President's rule. At least 258 people have been killed and over a thousand people injured in the ethnic violence in the state between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the non-tribal Meitei people since May 3, 2023. More than 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes and villages, They are staying in relief camps in different districts.
