Disability
Disability — Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016
12 min read · Updated 2026-05-25
Quick answer
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, in force from April 2017, is India's disability law: it recognises 21 disabilities, up from seven under the 1995 Act, reserves 4 percent of government jobs and 5 percent of higher education seats, and mandates accessibility and inclusive education. Census 2011 counted 2.68 crore persons with disabilities, 2.21 percent of the population.
The story
It is 3 December 2024 — World Day of Persons with Disabilities. The Supreme Court bench in Rajive Raturi v. Union of India issues mandatory accessibility guidelines, citing that eight years after the RPwD Act, less than 3% of public buildings in India are genuinely accessible. The verdict cites Justice DY Chandrachud: "Accessibility is not charity — it is the foundation of citizenship."
Across India, 2.68 crore persons (2011 Census) — and likely 4-8 crore by NSSO 2018 estimates — live with disability. Yet only 36% are literate (vs 74% national). Only 23% of working-age PwDs are employed. The story of disability rights in India is a story of a paradigm shift: from charity to rights, from medical model to social model, from invisibility to inclusion.
This file traces that journey — the laws, the schemes, the constitutional anchors, and the gaps that still keep PwDs at the margins.
Why this matters for UPSC
For UPSC:
- Prelims: RPwD Act 2016 (21 disabilities), Accessible India Campaign, UNCRPD, SC verdicts (Rajive Raturi, Vikash Kumar).
- Mains GS-I + GS-II: Vulnerable sections, social justice, accessibility, inclusive education, mental health (Mental Healthcare Act 2017).
- Interview: Personal opinion on inclusive policy + accessibility audits.