Page 36 - NIS English 01-15 December, 2025

NATION | International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Towards Self-Reliance

Empowering Divyangjans

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrates the unwavering
determination and resilience that turn limitations into opportunities.
Over the past decade, the Central Government’s progressive policies have

strengthened these possibilities. Let us explore how, over the past 10 years,
the Central Government has taken efforts to make the lives of persons with
disabilities dignified and self-reliant…

pportunity and faith empower individuals
to realize their fullest potential. An example
Oof this is found in the accomplishments of
16-year-old Sheetal Devi, an archer from Jammu
and Kashmir, who, despite lacking both arms, uses
her teeth and feet to shoot an arrow with a bow.
Born with a rare condition called phocomelia, her
endurance paid off with the government’s support
at every step. Sheetal enrolled in an Indian Army
youth program, and this laid the foundation for
her athletic career. She competed in archery at
the Hangzhou Asian Para Games and won a gold
medal in the women’s individual compound open
event. Countless success stories of persons with
disabilities in the country are inspiring, all made
possible by the central government’s policies,
decisions, and initiatives to empower them.

34 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || December 1-15, 2025