According to census 2011, there are 2.68 crore people with disabilities (PwD) in India, making up 2.21 per cent of the total population. However, so far just 94 lakh e- Unique Disability Identity (UDID) cards have been issued across the country. UDID is a card to help persons with disabilities avail the benefits extended to them through various schemes.

According to the data shared by the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, 94.30 lakh e-UDID cards have been generated in 716 districts in all states/Union Territories till now.  Under the project that took off in 2016, UDID cards are issued to PwDs based on the evaluation and assessment of the type and percentage of disability.

 Addressing a press conference, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said they are continuously in talks with states and Union Territories to expedite the process of issuance of the cards.

While the UDID issuance process is moving at a slow pace, activists in the sector is not happy with the Ministry’s recent move, making it mandatory to provide the centrally-issued Unique Disability Identification number, or an enrolment number along with the disability certificate issued by states for those who do not have the UDID.

The Ministry memorandum says that the number will help to avail the benefits of schemes like scholarships for students offered by the ministry of social justice’s department of empowerment of persons with disabilities (DEPwD) and its associated organisations. In all, 17 schemes have been listed in an office memorandum issued earlier this month. It further stated that in case the UDID number is not available, an enrolment number along with the certificate of disability shall be mandatory.

Disability rights activists from National Platform For The Rights Of The Disabled (NPRD) which has chapters in 14 states has urged the DEPwD Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal to withdraw the memorandum and ask it to focus on making the card universally valid and acceptable across all government (central and states) ministries, departments, boards and agencies.

Muralidharan, general secretary, NPRD  said that “While it may be desirable that all disabled persons procure the UDID card, it cannot and should not be imposed on them.”

He drew the attention of the Government to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 which only lays down the universal validity of the disability certificate and does not impose any obligation on the certificate holder.

Intriguingly, the Indian Railways too do not accept the UDID card issued by the Ministry to the PwD, for availing concession on tickets.