Context

• The National Award was presented by President Draupadi Murmu on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in New Delhi.

Key Points

• On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities i.e. 3rd December, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, annually awards National Awards to individuals, institutions, organisations, State/District etc. to showcase their excellent work and achievements in the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
• In the year 1969, the Government had approved a Scheme for conferring National Awards to outstanding persons with disabilities as employers and employees.
• Till 2017, the award scheme was governed under the National Awards Rules, 2013 and provided for 7 categories of disabilities as per the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.
• However, with the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 from 19 April 2017, the number of disabilities specified under the new law increased from 7 to 21.
• Accordingly, all 21 disabilities have been included in the National Award Guidelines which have been notified in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated 02 August, 2018.

Purpose of Award

• These awards have been instituted with the objective of focusing public attention on issues related to persons with disabilities and promoting their inclusion in the mainstream of society.
• Keeping in mind the changing scenario, the scope of the scheme has been amended from time to time.

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 

• It is noteworthy that in order to focus on policy issues and to give meaningful emphasis to activities aimed at the welfare and empowerment of persons with disabilities, a separate Department of Disability Affairs was created on May 12, 2012 in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• On 8 December 2014, the name of this department was changed to Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
• At present the Department has 9 National Institutes, 2 Corporations, 3 Statutory Authorities and 25 Integrated Regional Centers.

TYPES OF DISABILITIES

• Locomotor Disability
• Cerebral Palsy
• Dwarfism
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Acid Attack Victims
• Leprosy Cured
• Blindness
• Low Vision
• Hearing Impairment
• Speech and Language Disability
• Intellectual Disability
• Specific Learning Disability
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Mental Illness
• Chronic Neurological Conditions
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson's Disease
• Haemophilia
• Thalassemia
• Sickle Cell Disease
• Multiple Disabilities

Various government schemes for PwDs:

• Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan : Creating an accessible environment for persons with disabilities.
• Assistance to Persons with Disabilities Scheme (ADIP) for purchase/fitting of assistive devices/equipments.
• Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme.
• National Fellowship for disabled students.
• Specific Disability Identification Project.
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
• National Mental Health Programme.