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Economic Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Govt says over 50,000 buses, 1,800 buildings made accessible under Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
Synopsis The government of India has made strides in improving accessibility for persons with disabilities. Under the Accessible India Campaign, many public buildings were retrofitted. Thousands of buses were upgraded to meet accessibility standards. Railway stations saw improvements like ramps and accessible toilets. Websites were also made more accessible. Assistive devices are being distributed to those in need. Campaign logo (File photo) The Union government said on Wednesday that it has retrofitted more than 1,800 public buildings and upgraded over 50,000 buses to meet accessibility standards under the 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. "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. 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.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Govt says over 50,000 buses, 1,800 buildings made accessible under Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
The Union government said on Wednesday that it has retrofitted more than 1,800 public buildings and upgraded over 50,000 buses to meet accessibility standards under the 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.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt says over 50,000 buses, 1,800 buildings made accessible under Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
New Delhi, The Union government said on Wednesday that it has retrofitted more than 1,800 public buildings and upgraded over 50,000 buses to meet accessibility standards under the Accessible India Campaign , a flagship programme launched in 2015 to improve access for persons with disabilities . Govt says over 50,000 buses, 1,800 buildings made accessible under Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B L Verma said ₹564.50 crore had been released to states and Union territories for retrofitting 1,835 government buildings to make them accessible. '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 , Train Indication Boards , and Public Address Systems , he added. 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 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 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 platform. The government is also distributing assistive devices under the 'Assistance to Persons with Disabilities for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances ' 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. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Hindu
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Exposing children early to concept of disability is the way to go
In a significant move toward inclusive education, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), in partnership with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), recently signed a landmark tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU). The goal: to reform school curricula so that children — able-bodied or otherwise — are exposed early to the concept of disability, and gain a foundational understanding of the rights enshrined in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. This move sends a clear and urgent message: if we want inclusion in our buildings, streets, workplaces, and public spaces, we must first build it into our textbooks. It's a long-overdue recognition that inclusion is not a regulatory requirement to be complied with; it's a cultural norm that must be taught, modelled, and absorbed. And nowhere is this shift more urgently needed than in the fields of architecture, engineering, and urban development — professions that literally shape the world around us. What this project to reform school-level education acknowledges, the built environment sector in India still fails to grasp: inclusion is not a checkbox; it cannot be coerced; it has to be inculcated. Take the example of Delhi, it continues to be a city where persons with disabilities are systematically excluded by design. According to a 2016 access audit conducted under the Union government's Accessible India Campaign, nearly 30% of government buildings in the capital lacked ramps, 82% of public toilets were inaccessible, and 94% of healthcare facilities were not designed with people with disabilities in mind. These figures are not just numbers — they represent an everyday denial of rights. Despite growing awareness, the fundamental issues of coordination, enforcement, and mandatory design education remain unresolved — leaving Delhi's built environment far from inclusive. An afterthought The root of the problem is that the people designing and constructing these buildings — engineers, architects, developers — often have little to no training in disability inclusion. Stakeholders implementing the Unified Building Bylaws (UBBL), a comprehensive set of regulations and guidelines for the construction, alteration, and maintenance of buildings within the National Capital Territory of Delhi, frequently point to a significant knowledge gap. Unlike fire safety, which enjoys a secure place in engineering and architectural curricula and is baked into compliance processes, accessibility is treated as an afterthought — if it appears at all. Two of India's most competitive and prestigious programmes illustrate this gap with uncomfortable clarity. The in computer science and engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, despite its centrality to digital product and systems design, includes no foundational training in accessible technology or inclusive design. The program at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, one of the country's top institutions for urban design, often treats accessibility as an elective or a niche specialisation, not as a non-negotiable design principle. These courses represent the aspirational apex of technical education in India. If the engineers and architects coming out of these programmes are not trained in disability inclusion, what can one hope for broader systemic change? Most crucially, it's not that India lacks a legal framework for accessibility. Quite the opposite. The RPwD Act, 2016 — specifically Sections 40 and 44 lay out clear obligations for accessible infrastructure. The Harmonised Guidelines, 2021, provide detailed technical standards. Delhi's UBBL, in chapter 11, lays down clear accessibility requirements for public-use buildings — sloped ramps, tactile flooring, accessible toilets, appropriate signage, and more. These essentially accessibility mandates are echoed in varying details in the Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards (2021) and the National Building Code, respectively. Delhi's Master Plan, 2041 even commits to building inclusive recreational spaces and public infrastructure. And yet, even after the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in Rajive Raturi vs Union of India (2024), which ruled that accessibility standards must be mandatory, not optional, implementation remains patchy. Because the real bottleneck isn't the law — it's the capacity to apply it. As one stakeholder in one of our consultations, succinctly put it: 'Engineers don't know what's expected of them. And no one teaches them.' Developers, despite their central role in shaping the built environment, are not even mentioned in UBBL's accountability frameworks, in terms of the compliances they have to meet and the penalties in cases of non-compliance. And technical professionals including engineers and architects across the board rarely receive training in accessibility compliance. The result? Projects that, at most, check some legal boxes without meeting real-world needs. Buildings that pass inspections but fail people. There is an increasing temptation to correct this through penalties. But penalties cannot substitute education. The RPwD Act, 2016 does contain provisions for penalising non-compliance: Section 89 prescribes a fine of up to ₹10,000 for a first offence and ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh for subsequent offences for any person who contravenes provisions of the Act, including accessibility mandates. The enforcement mechanism under the UBBL also leans heavily on punitive penalties while offering little in the way of structural accountability or institutional clarity, which should ideally include training, capacity building, accessibility licensing requirements, among others. Under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, unauthorised construction — including deviations from sanctioned plans — can attract criminal penalties such as imprisonment for up to six months, fines up to ₹5,000, or both. Furthermore, the UBBL states that professionals, including engineers and architects, 'run the risk of having his/her licence cancelled' in cases of misrepresentation or deviation, and allows for delisting and public naming on authority websites, with information forwarded to the Council of Architecture for further action. What results is a framework that focuses on punishment in theory, but lacks the practical tools to ensure prevention, detection, or redress. Enforcement exists on paper, but accountability dissolves in practice. Yet, despite these legal tools and even with express legal provision, enforcement on the ground remains weak, inconsistent, and often tokenistic. Meaning legal coercion is clearly not working. Courts have also recognised this gap. In Nipun Malhotra vs GNCTD (2018), the Delhi High Court explicitly cited the lack of sensitisation among authorities regarding the rights of persons with disabilities. The court stressed that such ignorance often stems from a lack of training and education in accessibility standards. Similarly, in a complaint regarding inaccessible market areas in south Delhi, the Delhi State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, tasked with the implementation of the RPwD Act and adjudicating disputes under the same, ordered that not just municipal engineers and architects but even contractors and masons should be given structured accessibility training. Inclusion must be inculcated This is precisely why the DEPwD's MoU with NCERT and NIOS must not be viewed as an isolated reform, but rather as a foundational template for deeper, structural transformation across professional education. While school curricula now embed inclusion as a civic value, that same commitment must extend to higher education — particularly in architecture, engineering, and planning. Institutions such as the All India Council for Technical Education, the Council of Architecture, and other regulatory bodies must integrate accessibility not as a peripheral topic or optional module, but as a core design competency. Students should graduate not only with the ability to calculate structural loads or design building façades, but with the sensitivity and skills to plan tactile pathways for the visually challenged and ensure ramps are not just technically compliant, but genuinely usable. Because accessibility is not only a matter of compliance; it is a matter of compassion. Unless professionals are educated to internalise this ethos from school through university, no volume of policies, laws, or litigations will rectify the physical and social barriers we continue to cement into our cities. This is particularly urgent now, as in pursuance of the directions of the Supreme court to delineate the minimum non-negotiable standards for accessibility of built environment, the DEPwD called for public comments on a fresh draft of the Built Environment Accessibility Rules in May 2025. As much as the public comments are being collated and incorporated, as a positive step in disability governance, without parallel reform in education, another set of rules will only add to bureaucratic saturation — an ever-expanding stack of paperwork that does little to change what gets built on the ground. To avoid repeating the cycle of well-meaning but toothless compliance, the rulebook must be matched by a textbook — one that does not impose accessibility as a compliance burden, but inculcates it as a first nature. Anchal Bhatheja is a Research Fellow, Disability, Inclusion and Access Team, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy; Views are personal
India Gazette
20-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"They sang with their hearts, not voices": President Murmu moved at NIEPVD in Dehradun
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 20 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu grew visibly emotional during her visit to the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) in Dehradun on Friday, as students sang a heartfelt birthday song dedicated to her. 'It seemed they were singing with their hearts, not voices,' she said, fighting back tears. President Murmu was felicitated at the institute by Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. During her visit, she also inaugurated the newly constructed Rashtrapati Niketan on Rajpur Road. President Murmu became visibly emotional as students of the institute extended birthday wishes to her with a heartfelt song performance. Speaking at the event, President Murmu praised the students' cultural performance, saying, 'The tears did not stop from my eyes. It seemed to me that they were not singing from their necks; they were singing with their hearts--as if God himself resided in their voices.' President Murmu appreciated the institute's role in empowering the visually impaired. 'I am delighted to be among all of you in this institute dedicated to visually impaired persons. I deeply appreciate all those associated with this institution for their contribution to providing education and training, employment opportunities, and raising awareness in society,' she said. She said that a nation's progress can be judged by how it treats persons with disabilities, and added that India's civilizational values are rooted in compassion and inclusion. The President noted that the National Education Policy 2020 includes specific provisions for ensuring equal learning opportunities for differently-abled children. She also mentioned the Accessible India Campaign as a major step toward creating inclusive environments across public and government spaces. Highlighting initiatives at Rashtrapati Bhavan, she said, 'In the month of March this year, the Purple Fest was organised in Amrit Udyan to celebrate the talent, achievements, and aspirations of persons with disabilities.' Calling education a 'powerful medium of empowerment,' the President expressed satisfaction that NIEPVD's Adarsh Vidyalaya students excel in computers, science, music, and sports. Meanwhile, according to the President's Secretariat, the President will release a postage stamp at Raj Bhavan, Nainital, on the completion of its 125 years. On June 21, the President will participate in a mass yoga demonstration at the Uttarakhand State Police Line Maidan, Dehradun on the International Yoga Day. (ANI)
