Page 27 - NIS English 16-31 August 2023

Empowering Rural India Cover Story

Facilities for Divyangjan: The Accessible Way

Persons with disabilities have been one of the top priorities
of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On December 27, 2015, in the Mann Ki Baat program, PM
Modi talked about using the word Divyang for the first time
instead of handicapped.

n Assistive devices are being distributed by organizing
camps for Divyangjan, 13,528 camps have been
organized since 2014. More than 24.45 lakh Divyangjans
have been empowered through this.
n Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act-2016,
the existing types of persons with disabilities have been
increased from 7 to 21.
n On December 3, 2015, the Accessible India Campaign
was launched in which 1,630 buildings, including 1,030
central government buildings, were given accessibility
features.
n 11.7 lakh
schools given I applaud the perseverance
accessibility
and achievements of our
facility
Divyang sisters and brothers.

n More than 600

Our Government has taken
government
several initiatives, which
websites made
accessible. have created opportunities
for persons with disabilities
n 80 airports and
709 identified and enabled them to shine.
railway stations
have been made
-Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
accessible.

To ensure the economic empowerment of the Classes Commission constitutional status, which
Dalit community and their participation in self- has been pending for decades, in order to empower
employment, the central government is prioritising the socially and educationally backward classes.
easy loans under the stand-up scheme, the Mudra The policy decision of the Central Government
scheme. Because of these programmes, people has increased the opportunities for students
from the SC-ST community are emerging in coming from backward classes in the medical
education, industry, employment, service, and the field. Great efforts have been made to ensure the
social sector. Be it representation in the Union participation of the OBC community in education
Cabinet or the initiative to elect Ramnath Kovind, a and employment.
Dalit, as President in 2017 and Draupadi Murmu, a
tribal symbol, as President in 2022, Prime Minister Poverty declining rapidly in rural areas
Narendra Modi prioritised rural India, and it has The Central Government's efforts have helped 13.5
actually reflected his commitment to the overall crore Indians get out of multidimensional poverty in
development of the underprivileged society. The just the last five years. According to the NITI report,
Central Government has granted the Backward the number of multidimensional poor in India has

New India Samachar August 16-31, 2023 25