Committee formed to set rules for implementation of RPD Act

A committee has been constituted by the Centre to frame uniform rules for the states to avoid delay in proper implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act across the country.
The Committee, constituted under the chairmanship of Secretary from Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), will comprise of representatives from the Ministry of Health, DoPT, Labour, Legislative Department, and representatives from NGOs as members.
It will also have Principal Secretary/Secretary, Social Welfare Department from Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh, said a senior Social Justice and Empowerment ministry official.
All the representatives of Ministries would be the rank of Joint Secretary and above, and the committee will submit its report within three months.

"It is suggested that we may constitute a Working Group under the Chairmanship of Secretary (DEPwD) to frame rules under the RPWD Act, 2016.
"The Working Group may also be requested to suggest model draft rules for the states so as to have a uniform rules across the country and also to avoid delay in finalization of rules by any state," said a note by the Union Social Justice Ministry.

The ministry plans to notify the rules on April 14, the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, the architect of Indian constitution, said the official.
The Act was notified on December 28 after a nod from the President. It provides for raising reservation in government jobs for persons with benchmark disabilities from three to four per cent and in higher education institutes from three to five per cent.

After the Act comes into effect, every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years will have the right to free education.
The legislation aims to bring Indian laws in line with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Under the Act, the number of disabilities have been increased from seven to 21.
Mental illness, autism, spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, specific learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, speech and language disability, Thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities including deaf blindness, acid attack and Parkinsons disease have also been included.

As per the Act, assaulting, insulting, intimidating, denying food to a person with disability or sexually exploiting a differently-abled woman and performing a medical procedure on such woman without her consent which may lead in termination of pregnancy will draw a jail term up to five years.
Those who contravenes any provision of the act will be punished with a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh.