Less than 40% of disabled persons in India have the ID needed for benefits

Less than 40% of India’s projected population of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) have been issued a Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card, which enables access to government benefits, data show. Over 11 lakh applications for UDID cards are still pending, with more than 60% pending for over six months.

The UDID sub-scheme, under the Union government’s Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), is implemented for creating a national database for PwDs. These cards allow persons with disabilities to access key benefits from schemes. One such scheme is the Assistance to Persons with Disabilities (ADIP), which helps them procure wheelchairs, crutches, prostheses, hearing aids, Braille slates, and more. It also allows them to opt for scholarships in educational institutions and for reservations in government jobs.

Less than half of PwDs in 23 States have received the card, with the share crossing the 50% mark only in Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Odisha, and Karnataka. West Bengal stands out, with only about 6%. Relevant data for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were not available separately. The map below the State-wise share of the projected disabed who have received a UDID card (in %).

The figures used by the DEPwD to calculate the UDID card coverage are based on PwD population projected using the 2011 Census and NSSO 76th round’s numbers, according to Shashank Pandey, lawyer and founder of Politics and Disability Forum, who works on political representation of PwDs.

The implementation of the UDID sub-scheme was staggered, according to Mr. Pandey. Prior to the introduction of this scheme, only State-specific disability certificates were issued at the district or taluka level. Mr. Pandey says that when the UDID system was rolled out, the shift to this new form of identification was not effectively communicated at the ground level.

The delay in processing UDID applications, as noted earlier, is also one of the many reasons why the coverage numbers are low. Of the 34 States/UTs for which data was analysed, over half of the applications for UDID cards have been pending for over six months. As shown in the map below, over 80% of applications were pending for over six months in Himachal Pradesh, the highest such share among major States. The delayed application crossed the mark in Ladakh (UT) and Mizoram.

Mr. Pandey explains that, as the UDID card can only be applied for through a website, another aspect hindering the issuance is digital literacy. “Not everyone is that well-versed in terms of navigating the digital interface,” he explains.

The online UDID application expects the applicant to upload scanned documents to the portal. Latest government survey data show that only 60% of India’s population above the age of 15 displayed the ability to use copy and paste tools to duplicate or move documents, using mobile or computer-like devices. The chart below shows the population aged 15+ years who can use copy and paste tools to move documents, on mobiles or computers.

The share is much lower if only women were considered. The corresponding figure specific to persons with disabilities was not available.

Even as overall funds for schemes for PwDs have increased, the UDID sub-scheme, crucial for accessing many of these benefits, has seen its funding reduced. The chart below shows the funds released under the UDID sub scheme from 2019 to 2023.

Mr. Pandey explains that the overall negligence towards persons with disabilities can be explained by their strength as a political unit. “Persons with disabilities form a very small political constituency, just about 2.68 crore people as per the Census, and are not strong enough as an identity group to make a difference in votes. Hence, they are not taken seriously,” he says.

Source: Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom, Lok Sabha Questions and Answers

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