UPSC Prelims 2026Question 56Polity

Which of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct ?
1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2018, mandates reservation in education and employment, places a legal duty on Governments to ensure accessibility and non-discrimination.
2. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains — built infrastructure, transport systems and information and communication technology.
3. The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a public sector organisation set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Select the answer using the code given below:

Options

(a)1 and 2
(b)2 only
(c)1 and 3
(d)1 only

Correct answer: b

Decision rule

A statement whose substance is right can still be false on one attached detail - check the year and the parent ministry before accepting it.

Explanation

Correct Answer

(b) 2 only

Explanation of the Correct Answer

Only Statement 2 is correct.

The question contains two factual traps:

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act was passed in 2016, not 2018.
The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) functions under the disability affairs setup of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, not the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Statement 2 is correct because Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, also called the Accessible India Campaign, focuses on universal accessibility across three major domains: built environment, transport systems, and information and communication technology ecosystem. (Press Information Bureau)

Evaluation of the Statements

Statement	Verdict	Explanation
1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act was passed in 2018 and mandates reservation, accessibility and non-discrimination.	Incorrect	The Act is the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, not 2018. However, the rest of the statement regarding reservation, accessibility and non-discrimination is broadly correct. (India Code)
2. Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on universal accessibility across built infrastructure, transport systems and ICT.	Correct	These are the three core domains of the Accessible India Campaign.
3. NDFDC was set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among PwDs.	Incorrect	NDFDC is a Government of India-owned company functioning as an apex institution for the benefit of Persons with Disabilities, but it is associated with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, not the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. (Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities)

Therefore, the correct answer is (b) 2 only.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

Option	Verdict	Explanation
(a) 1 and 2	Incorrect	Statement 2 is correct, but Statement 1 is incorrect because the Act was passed in 2016, not 2018.
(b) 2 only	Correct	Only Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan has been correctly described.
(c) 1 and 3	Incorrect	Both Statements 1 and 3 contain factual errors.
(d) 1 only	Incorrect	Statement 1 is incorrect due to the wrong year of the Act.

Relevant Supplementary Information

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

Feature	Provision / Detail
Year	2016
Replaced	Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995
Disability categories	Expanded from 7 to 21 specified disabilities
Reservation in government jobs	4% reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities
Reservation in higher education	5% reservation in government and government-aided higher educational institutions
Core principles	Equality, dignity, non-discrimination, accessibility and full participation
Accessibility duty	Government must ensure access to public buildings, transport and services
Special emphasis	Women and children with disabilities, community life, legal capacity and social security

Feature	Details
Full name	Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
Replaced	Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995
Basis	UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Disability categories	Expanded from 7 to 21 specified disabilities
Benchmark disability	Person with not less than 40% of a specified disability
Reservation in government employment	4% reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities
Reservation in higher education	5% reservation in government and government-aided higher educational institutions
Accessibility obligation	Government must ensure access to public buildings, transport, information and communication systems
Anti-discrimination provision	Prohibits discrimination on the ground of disability
Special provisions	Protection for women and children with disabilities
Penalties	Provides penalties for offences against persons with disabilities

Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan: Three Domains

Domain	Focus Area	Examples
Built Environment	Accessibility in public buildings and spaces	Ramps, lifts, accessible toilets, tactile paths, signage
Transportation Systems	Accessibility in public transport	Accessible buses, railway stations, airports, passenger information systems
Information and Communication Technology	Digital and communication accessibility	Accessible government websites, screen-reader compatibility, captions, accessible documents

NDFDC: Correct Institutional Details

Aspect	Correct Information
Full form	National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation
Earlier name	National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation
Nature	Government of India-owned company
Administrative association	Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Main function	Concessional financial assistance for income-generating activities of Persons with Disabilities
Purpose	Economic empowerment, self-employment and entrepreneurship among PwDs

Key Takeaways from the Tables

Key Point	Explanation
RPwD Act is of 2016, not 2018	This is the main reason Statement 1 is incorrect.
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan has three core domains	Built environment, transport systems and ICT.
NDFDC is not under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs	It is associated with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
NDFDC supports economic empowerment	Its focus is concessional finance for self-employment and income-generating activities.

Key Point	Explanation
RPwD Act was passed in 2016	Any statement saying 2018 is incorrect.
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan has three domains	Built environment, transport systems and ICT.
NDFDC is not under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs	It works under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
RPwD Act shifted India toward a rights-based approach	It focuses on equality, accessibility, dignity, reservation and non-discrimination.
NDFDC focuses on economic empowerment	It supports self-employment and entrepreneurship among PwDs through concessional finance.

Context and Current Relevance

Disability policy in India has shifted from a welfare-based approach to a rights-based and accessibility-based approach.
Accessible infrastructure, inclusive education and digital accessibility are crucial for meaningful participation of Persons with Disabilities.
The correct institutional linkage matters because implementation depends heavily on the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Table: Important Acts, Schemes and Institutions Related to Persons with Disabilities in India

Act / Scheme / Institution	Year / Launch	Ministry / Authority	Key Features
Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act	2016	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	Rights-based law for PwDs; expands disabilities from 7 to 21; provides reservation, accessibility and non-discrimination duties
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan / Accessible India Campaign	2015	Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities	Universal accessibility in built environment, transport systems and ICT
National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation	1997	Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	Provides concessional finance for self-employment and income-generating activities of PwDs
Persons with Disabilities Act	1995	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	Earlier disability law replaced by the RPwD Act, 2016
National Trust Act	1999	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	Welfare and protection of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities
Rehabilitation Council of India Act	1992	Rehabilitation Council of India	Regulates training of rehabilitation professionals
Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme	Ongoing scheme	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	Grants-in-aid to NGOs for rehabilitation services for PwDs
ADIP Scheme	1981	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	Assistance to disabled persons for purchase/fitting of aids and appliances
Unique Disability ID Project	2016	Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities	Creates a national database and provides UDID cards to PwDs
District Disability Rehabilitation Centres	Ongoing	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment with State Governments	Provides rehabilitation services at district level

Table: Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan / Accessible India Campaign

Domain	Focus	Examples
Built Environment	Making public buildings and spaces accessible	Ramps, lifts, accessible toilets, tactile flooring, handrails, accessible signage
Transportation Systems	Making public transport accessible	Accessible buses, railway stations, airports, audio-visual announcements, reserved spaces
Information and Communication Technology	Making digital and communication systems accessible	Accessible government websites, screen-reader compatibility, captions, accessible documents

Table: NDFDC: Key Facts

Parameter	Correct Information
Full form	National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation
Earlier name	National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation
Year of incorporation	1997
Administrative control	Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
Ministry	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Nature	Government of India-owned corporation / not-for-profit company
Main objective	Economic empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
Major function	Provides concessional loans for income-generating activities
Target beneficiaries	Persons with Disabilities
Important correction	It is not under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Table: Commonly Confused Disability-Related Bodies

Body / Institution	Main Role	Administrative Linkage
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities	Nodal department for disability affairs	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
NDFDC	Concessional finance and entrepreneurship support for PwDs	Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
Rehabilitation Council of India	Regulates rehabilitation professionals and training institutions	Statutory council under RCI Act, 1992
National Trust	Supports persons with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities	Monitors implementation of disability rights law	Under RPwD Act framework
State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities	State-level monitoring and grievance redressal	State Governments

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