The government has created a separate department of “Disability Affairs,” which was earlier part of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, to cater for the needs of an estimated 2.1-crore-strong disabled population.
With the creation of this department, the Ministry will be able to focus more on policy issues and problems of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), according to Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Mukul Wasnik.
The department will have a separate budget that would help in strengthening the existing schemes and formulating new ones, and also for technological innovations.
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With the new department in place, it will be easier to coordinate with various stakeholders, NGOs, the State governments, related Central ministries and international organisations like the United Nations, says a Ministry release.
The Union Government runs seven National Institutes dealing with various types of disabilities and seven Composite Regional Centres, which provide rehabilitation services to PwDs, run courses for rehabilitation professionals and fund NGOs for similar services, and also a National Handicapped Finance & Development Corporation.
New department will have a separate budget
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It will cater for 2.1-crore disabled people