The Central Government of India enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, which came into force on April 19, 2017, expanding recognized disabilities from 7 to 21 categories and mandating measures like 4% reservation in government jobs, accessibility standards, and establishment of commissioners for oversight.��

Implementation involves coordination with states via the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), including schemes for identification, rehabilitation, and empowerment, though a 2024 CAG performance audit highlighted gaps in planning, financial management, and monitoring.��

Key Challenges Parliamentary reports note suboptimal budget allocations, such as low pensions (₹300-500/month under Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme amid inflation), and coordination issues like pending utilization certificates from states delaying central funds.�

Experts identify institutional hurdles including inadequate training for officials, poor inter-departmental links across health, education, and transport, and unreliable disability data for planning.�

Social barriers like stigma, low awareness, and discrimination—especially for women and rural PwDs—further limit access to education, employment, and grievance redressal.��

Expert and Judicial Views

Disability rights analyses criticize delays in state rules (e.g., Telangana’s 2018 notification post-2016 Act) and weak enforcement, with Supreme Court judgments (authored by figures like Justice D.Y. Chandrachud) directing mandatory accessibility audits, functional assessments over medicalization, and inclusion of PwD experts in boards.�

The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) imposes fines (e.g., ₹10,000 on 155 entities in 2024 for digital inaccessibility) and pursues ministries for compliance reporting.��

Studies urge handholding states with resources, civil society collaboration, and data-driven policies modeled on proactive states like Kerala.��

Recent Central Actions In 2023-2024, DEPwD held meetings with state commissioners on section-wise status, UDID card universalization, accessibility under PM GatiShakti, and insurance for PwDs.�

Courts mandated compliance in lagging states (e.g., Andhra Pradesh, UP by June 2024), while RBI enforced digital banking accessibility.��

Ongoing efforts include annual reports tracking ministry implementations and special courts for violations.�