Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rhetoric of ‘Divyang Kalyan (welfare of people with disablities), the budget allocations and policy decisions in 2024-25 tell a different story. The demand from various disability rights organisations for allocating 5% of the total budget across ministries for the welfare and development of people with disabilities remains far from being realised, with the current allocation standing at a mere 0.025%.
Key initiatives and bodies aimed at improving accessibility and support for people with disabilities have faced significant budget cuts, unspent funds and unmet targets. This disconnect between governmental promises and budgetary allocations underscores a troubling gap in the quest for true inclusivity.
The allocation for the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which this government failed to implement has been decreasing for years now. The allocation was reduced by 37.5% from 240.39 crore in 2022-23 to 150 crore in 2023-24, and this year it was further cut by 9.78% to 135.33 crore. In 2022-23, a little above half of the allocated funds, 65.59 crore, were utilized.
Allocations for Schemes for the Implementation of the Persons with Disability Act
| Year | BE | RE | Spent | Unspent |
| 2014-15 | 44.60 Cr | 32.54Cr | 31.98 Cr | 0.56 |
| 2015-16 | 95.8 Cr | 63.28Cr | 16.06 CR | 47.22 Cr |
| 2016-17 | 116 Cr | 193 Cr | 186.82 Cr | 79.74 Cr |
| 2017-18 | 207 Cr | 257 Cr | 274 Cr | – |
| 2018-19 | 300 Cr | 258 Cr | 260 Cr | 42 Cr |
| 2019-20 | 315 Cr | 260 Cr | 217 Cr | 55 Cr |
| 2020-21 | 251 Cr | 122 Cr | 103 Cr | 148 Cr |
| 2021-22 | 209.77 Cr | 147.31 Cr | 108.44 Cr | 101.33 Cr |
| 2022-23 | 240.39 Cr | 100 Cr | 65.59 Cr | 34.41 Cr |
| 2023-24 | 150 Cr | 67 Cr | – | – |
| 2024-25 | 135.33Cr | – | – |
Assessing the budget allocation trend since 2014, it’s evident that 508.26 crore rupees, which had been allocated, went unspent. While the above table might suggest an increase in budget allocations over the years, the reality is more complex.
Sugamya Bharat Campaign lags behind
The Accessible India Campaign, also known as Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, launched in 2015, is an initiative under the Scheme for Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA).
The campaign aims to make public spaces and infrastructure more accessible for people with disabilities by ensuring that buildings, transportation systems, and digital platforms are user-friendly for individuals with varying levels of mobility, vision, and hearing impairments.
It emphasises the creation of an inclusive environment where people with disabilities can live independently and participate fully in society. The initiative involves retrofitting existing infrastructure, incorporating accessibility features into new constructions, raising awareness about the rights and needs of people with disabilities, and fostering a culture of inclusivity across all sectors.
The targets included completing accessibility audits and making 25-50 key government buildings in 50 cities fully accessible by March 2018, with the deadline later extended to June 2022. The plan also aimed to make 50% of government buildings in the National Capital and all State Capitals accessible.
However, as of the 2021-22 annual report from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, an access audit was completed for 1,671 buildings. Despite proposals for retrofitting 1,484 buildings, retrofitting was completed in only 577 buildings across 20 states. This falls short of the original targets, with unclear data on the total number of government buildings.
In the transportation sector, the campaign sought to enhance accessibility in airports, railway stations, and public transport carriers. The target for airports was to ensure all international and domestic airports were fully accessible.
However, while 35 international and 55 domestic airports reportedly have some accessibility features, including tactile paths and aerobridges at select locations, inconsistencies in these claims raise questions about the true extent of accessibility. For instance, only 20 airports have been equipped with ambulifts, essential for passengers with restricted mobility, and these are not universally available.
In Railways, the goal was to make all A1, A, and B category railway stations fully accessible. The report indicates that 709 stations are fully accessible, but there is a lack of comprehensive accessibility, such as accessible train doors, toilets, and accessible ticketing systems. The provision of only one accessible toilet per station does not suffice, especially given the needs of passengers with disabilities.
In road transportation, the target was to convert 25% of government-owned public transport carriers into fully accessible vehicles. The report notes that 42,348 buses (29.05%) are partially accessible and 8,625 buses (5.96%) are fully accessible. However, this still falls short, and there is inadequate infrastructure at bus stops and on roads to support these vehicles.
The ICT ecosystem was another focus area, with a target to make at least 50% of central and state government websites accessible.
While the report states that 95 central government websites have been made accessible and 637 state/UT websites, including 459 live sites, have achieved this status, there is no clear indication of the level of accessibility. Many websites continue to struggle with complex language and poor visual display, which hampers access for people with cognitive or learning disabilities, such as the Indian Railways website.
The campaign also aimed to train 200 additional sign language interpreters and improve TV viewing accessibility for the hearing impaired. The Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) has trained over 1,593 language interpreters, but this number is inadequate compared to the estimated 50 lakh deaf individuals in India.
Moreover, while 19 private TV channels provide partial accessibility features in their broadcasts, the vast majority of India’s 900 private channels do not meet these standards.
The budget allocation has also fallen short in supporting crucial autonomous bodies established by acts of Parliament, such as the National University of Rehabilitation Science and Disability Studies. Additionally, the National Trust’s funding has been reduced from 35 crore to 25 crore.
Key institutions like the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India and the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation have not received any budget allocations.
Besides offering 25 free beds for poor patients, the government has not provided financial support to the Indian Spinal Injury Center, despite approximately 1.5 million people in India living with spinal cord injuries and around 20,000 new cases emerging each year.
The Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) has seen no change in its funding, remaining at 290 crore. Pension amounts of 300 for those aged 18 to 79 and 500 for those over 79 have remained stagnant for over a decade, despite rising living costs and unemployment rates.
To qualify for the scheme, individuals must have a disability of at least 80% severity and be below the poverty line (BPL). This amount benefits only 3.8% of people with disabilities according to the 2011 census.
No additional nutritional support for people affected by sickle cell anaemia
In India, 20 million people are affected by sickle cell anaemia (SCA), mainly in tribal regions. The government launched the Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission 2047 in 2023, aiming to screen over 7 crore people by 2025-26. However, only 1,54,23,518 screenings had been completed by January 2024, against a target of 2.5 crore for FY 2023-24.
Additionally, the Union government is distributing iron-fortified rice through midday meals, anganwadis, and the public distribution system. However, individuals with SCA, thalassemia, acute infections, acute malnutrition, certain stages of malaria, diabetes, or tuberculosis should avoid these iron-fortified foods.
A customised diet is crucial for people with SCA to ensure optimal nutrition and maintain a strong immune system, reducing their risk of illness and mortality. Unfortunately, the government has not included any additional nutritional support for people with SCA in its eradication initiatives for 2023–24 or 2024–25.
During the interim budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that “there is no longer any need to worry about food.” This assertion contrasts sharply with the concerning reality that India ranks 111th out of 125 countries on the 2023 Global Hunger Index, indicating severe hunger.
The budget allocation for food subsidies is approximately 25% lower than the actual expenditure for FY 2022–23 and 5% below the revised estimate for 2023–24. For 2024–25, the allocation remains unchanged from the interim budget at 2.05 lakh crore, lower than the 2.12 lakh crore spent the previous year.
Recent years have seen steady budget cuts to the Mission Anganwadi Saksham and POSHAN initiatives, which are vital for combating malnutrition. This year, funding has been reduced by an additional 323 crore from the previous year. Despite the fact that 36% of India’s children are stunted and 32% are underweight, the current budget shows a continued lack of emphasis on these critical interventions.
The SAMARTHYA scheme, which includes vital programs for expectant women such as the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, has also seen reductions in both the Union Budget 2023–24 and 2024–25. Initially proposed at 2,582 crore, the allocation was later revised to 1,863.85 crore, marking a cut of 718.15 crore in 2023-24. This year’s funding has also been reduced from 69.99 crore in the previous year.
MGNREGA budget cut
Based on the 2011 census, 64% of people with disabilities in India are unemployed. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which is intended to prioritise job opportunities for people with disabilities in rural areas, needs 2 lakh crore to operate at full capacity.
However, the scheme has seen significant funding reductions in recent years. This year’s budget shortfall has had particularly severe consequences, leaving 18 million disabled villagers without employment opportunities.
In FY 2022-23, the government spent approximately 90,000 crore on the scheme, despite initially allocating a much lower amount, due to the growing demand for rural employment. In the current budget, MGNREGA has been allocated 86,000 crore, which is 4,000 crore less than the actual expenditure in 2022-23.
The central government’s mandate for using the National Mobile Monitoring System App to track MGNREGA employment from January 1, 2023, has endangered the livelihoods of many disadvantaged rural workers, particularly those with disabilities.
Challenges such as poor internet connectivity, inconsistent electricity, and digital illiteracy have hindered many workers from recording their attendance. Additionally, the app does not include the special provisions required for people with disabilities under MGNREGA.
Launched in 2017, the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) aimed to bridge the digital divide and promote digital literacy in rural areas by training people to use computers and digital devices like tablets and smartphones.
This initiative targeted marginalised groups, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), individuals Below the Poverty Line (BPL), women, people with disabilities, and minorities. However, the government ceased funding for the programme in 2023, and no budget has been allocated since then.
In India more than 70 million children leave primary school without essential literacy and numeracy skills. Among people with disabilities, the illiteracy rate stands at 55%, placing them at a disadvantage in the education system.
Poor school infrastructure significantly contributes to these subpar educational outcomes. According to a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development, nearly 44% of government schools lack electricity.
The overall budget increase for school education and literacy is less than 1%, with funding rising from 72,474 crore in the 2023 revised estimates to 73,008 crore for 2024-25. This minimal increase falls short of the National Education Policy (NEP) recommendation to allocate 6% of GDP to education.
In higher education, the budget shows a concerning 17% reduction overall. Funding for the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been severely cut, from 6,409 crore in the previous year’s revised estimate to 2,500 crore, representing a reduction of over 60.99%.
Less allocation of funds for scholarships
Additionally, the allocation for scholarships for students with disabilities has decreased from 155 crore in 2023–24 to 142.68 crore. This reduction exacerbates the educational exclusion faced by students with disabilities, further compounding their high illiteracy rates.
The Khelo India program, a flagship initiative of the Narendra Modi government, has received a large portion of the Union budget. However, funding for athletes with disabilities has been significantly reduced, with their allocation dropping by 67%, from 76 crore in 2023–24 to 25 crore.
A recent UN report reveals that India’s elderly population is growing rapidly. By 2036, 15% of the population is expected to be aged 60 or older, increasing the number of people with disabilities in the country.
Despite being the world’s most populous nation, India relies on outdated data from the 2011 census, as the 2021 census has been postponed until 2024. This lack of current data on people with disabilities hampers effective budget allocation and policymaking.
Even without accurate and up-to-date information, the government continues to cut funding for disability welfare programmes. The situation is further exacerbated by the reduction in the budget for Census 2021, which has been stalled for over four years.
The budget allocation has been reduced from 3,768 crore in 2021-22 to 1,309 crore in the Union Budget 2024-25, making it challenging to gain a comprehensive understanding of the country’s demographic and social landscape, including the needs of people with disabilities.
As the 2024–25 budget continues to neglect and marginalise people with disabilities, funding has remained almost stagnant and unspent, revealing no meaningful progress in the current financial plan. Meanwhile, discussions about disability inclusion seem confined to the pages of school textbooks.
The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a new supplementary module under the theme “Viksit Bharat” (“Developed India”), which covers a broad range of government schemes and initiatives, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Vision 2047.’
Notably, one chapter titled “Arthik Unnati Me Divyangjano ka Yogdaan Vikasit Bharat ki Raah” (The Role of Disabled Persons in Economic Development) highlights the significant contributions of people with disabilities to economic growth.
It also delves into the hurdles they face in securing employment and participating economically, emphasising the ethical obligation to offer equal opportunities and support. Yet, the reality of disability inclusion remains glaringly absent from the practical policies and budgetary allocations that could make a real difference.
