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Time of India
06-08-2025
- 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
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Over 6.3 lakh calls received on National Helpline Against Atrocities on SCs, STs since 2020: Govt
New Delhi, The National Helpline Against Atrocities , set up to address complaints of atrocities against SCs and STs, has received over 6.34 lakh calls since its inception, according to government data shared on Wednesday. Over 6.3 lakh calls received on National Helpline Against Atrocities on SCs, STs since 2020: Govt Responding to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said the toll-free helpline , operational since 2020, aims to provide grievance redressal and raise awareness about legal provisions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes . The highest number of calls, at over 3.4 lakh, were received in 2023. Uttar Pradesh accounted for the lion's share of complaints with more than 3.4 lakh calls between 2020 and July 2025, followed by Bihar and Rajasthan . Delhi also recorded a high number of calls at over 29,000. The helpline received 6,34,066 calls across states and Union Territories up to July 31. The data revealed a significant increase in usage over the years, with just over 6,000 calls in 2020 and more than 1.05 lakh in 2024. Out of 7,661 categorised complaints registered on the portal, around 5,202 have been resolved, while 1,962 remain pending. These complaints include chargesheeted cases, demands for relief and those filed either by complainants or helpline call agents. UP also leads in categorised complaints with 1,981 cases, of which 1,615 have been resolved. Madhya Pradesh follows with 1,727 categorised complaints, and Rajasthan recorded 795 such cases. Asked how the government classifies a complaint as an atrocity, Athawale stated that offences are determined based on the provisions of two central laws the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, which penalises acts of untouchability; and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act, 1989. The minister clarified that complaints are considered atrocities if they fall under the offences defined in these Acts and the accompanying rules. The NHAA initiative is part of the government's broader effort to ensure the protection and empowerment of marginalised communities through timely intervention and awareness-building. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
