The Winter Session of Parliament ended today Sine Die. But despite the constant disruptions that the session witnessed from its start on November 16, Disabilities Bill was passed today, which is the last day of Winter Session. The Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, was passed by agreement from all Ministers, opposition included. This Bill states that if any discrimination is shown to differently abled persons, imprisonment up to two years and a fine between Rs.1 0,000 to Rs. 5 lakhs will be levied on the person.
The Disabilities Bill follows UN Convention on Rights of Persons with disabilities. The number of disabilities has now been increased from 7 to 21, which now also includes disabilities caused by acid attacks and Parkinson’s. The number of people with disabilities increased a whopping 22.4% from 2001 to 2011. The number is now at 2.68 crore in India, which is 2.21 percent of the population.
The differently abled have waited a long time for this Bill to pass. It took a total of five years for making the law. Since its inception in 2014, a standing committee, Ministers, the PMO, and Cabinet have examined this Bill thoroughly and passed the bill on Friday.
When the session started in the morning, in the Zero Hour all the Ministers, including the opposition, took a stand on passing this Bill, as it is considered a priority. The next step for our Country is to implement this bill and truly make India more Disabled friendly.
