India’s official disability prevalence stands at 2.21% (Census 2011) against the WHO’s global estimate of around 16%. Examine the data undercount and assess the gap between the RPwD Act, 2016 and lived exclusion.
Subtopic: Indian Society · Population — Persons with Disabilities
How to structure your answer
Introduction: India counts persons with disabilities at 2.68 crore (Census 2011, 2.21%); NSO 76th round (2018) again 2.2%. WHO 2022 global figure is roughly 16% — India counts about one-seventh.
Body — three dimensions: (1) Definition shift — RPwD Act, 2016 expanded recognised disabilities from 7 to 21, social model replacing medical model; 4% reservation in government jobs, 5% in higher education. (2) Undercount drivers — narrow definitions, stigma-driven under-reporting, survey design. (3) Implementation gap — Rajive Raturi judgment (8 November 2024) made accessibility a fundamental right; Sugamya Bharat (3 December 2015) — bus accessibility just 8.73%; DEPwD budget ₹1,275 crore, 0.025% of Union Budget; under 40% SIPDA spent in 2024-25.
Conclusion: A fresh disability count in Census 2027 and full SIPDA-DDRC delivery are pre-conditions for converting rights to access.
Written within the word limit
135 words · target 150 words · 9 min
Introduction: India counts persons with disabilities (PwDs) at 2.68 crore (Census 2011, 2.21%) and 2.2% in NSO 76th round (2018), against the WHO Global Report on Disability 2022 estimate of about 16% worldwide — India counts roughly one-seventh of the global benchmark.
Body: The undercount has three roots. First, narrow definitions — though the RPwD Act, 2016 widened recognised disabilities from 7 to 21, including autism, intellectual disability and sickle cell, and adopted a social rather than medical model, with 4% reservation in government jobs and 5% in higher education. Second, stigma-driven under-reporting in census-style surveys. Third, design gaps in enumeration. The Rajive Raturi judgment (8 November 2024) made accessibility a fundamental right; Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (3 December 2015) records bus accessibility at only 8.73%; DEPwD's Rs 1,275 crore is just 0.025% of the Union Budget.
Conclusion: A fresh disability count in Census 2027 plus full SIPDA-DDRC delivery are pre-conditions for converting RPwD rights into lived access.
What an examiner expects to see
- Census 2011 PwD — 2.68 crore, 2.21%
- WHO Global Report on Disability 2022 — ~16% globally
- RPwD Act, 2016 — recognised disabilities 7 → 21
- 4% government job reservation, 5% higher-education reservation
- UNCRPD ratified 1 October 2007
- Rajive Raturi v. Union of India (8 November 2024) — accessibility fundamental right
- Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan launched 3 December 2015
- Bus accessibility 8.73% (Rajive Raturi 2024 reading)
- DEPwD allocation ₹1,275 crore for 2025-26 — 0.025% of Union Budget
- Over 1.1 crore UDID cards generated by mid-2024
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Autism, intellectual disability, sickle cell among newly recognised
- UDID Swavlamban card replacing state certificates
- ADIP scheme for aids and appliances
- DDRS rehabilitation scheme
- Inclusive Sansad — accessible Parliament building 2023