From Apr 1 UDID mandatory to avail benefits of govt schemes for persons with disabilities

New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI) Persons with disabilities will have to mandatorily provide centrally issued Unique Disability Identification (UDID) number from April 1 to avail benefits under 17 government schemes for them.
     The government said those who do not have a UDID card will have to provide UDID enrolment number (generated from UDID portal only) along with certificate of disability.
     "It may be noted that physical copy of disability certificate or uploading the disability certificate is not required, in case of availability of a valid UDID number," said an office memorandum of the Department of Disability Affairs.
     In the memorandum, the department said the move aims to bring transparency and to reduce the burden of paperwork on the people with disabilities, the UDID will be mandated for various schemes of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and its associated organizations.
     The schemes include post-matric scholarship for students with disabilities, pre-matric scholarship for such students, and Nirmaya Health Insurance Scheme, among others
     "In case, UDID number is not available, UDID enrolment number (generated from UDID portal only) along with certificate of disability shall be mandatory. It may be noted that physical copy of disability certificate or uploading the disability certificate is not required, in case of availability of valid UDID number," the memorandum said.
     The department said all divisional heads in the department and head/in-charge of national institutes/organizations/statutory bodies/public sector undertakings under the department are directed to ensure strict compliance of mandatory requirement of UDID number/UDID enrolment number along with copy of disability for availing benefits/relaxation under 17 schemes with effect from April 1.
     The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), a disability rights group, has expressed a strong disapproval of the move and written to Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary at the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
     The NPRD said the UDID number cannot and should not be imposed on such people. It should be of their own free will and volition.
     "Moreover, making the UDID mandatory for various schemes or programmes would not stand the scrutiny of law. Moreover, even if the government amends the law to make the UDID mandatory, in a situation where more than half of the disabled population holding certificates have not been issued UDID cards for whatever reasons, would only lead to deprivation from “benefits/relaxations” under various schemes to such persons, they having been declared persona non grata for no fault of theirs. This is patently unjust to say the least. Needless to add about the unnecessary harassment and trauma that this would cause," NPRD Secretary Muralidharan said.
     Over 88 lakh UDID cards for people with disabilities have been issued in the country so far, official data has showed in January this year.
     'Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities' project is being implemented with a view of creating a national database for them, and to issue a UDID card to each person with disabilities.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)