National Resource Kit: The Madhya Pradesh Chapter (Call for Comments)

Note: The chapter is an early draft and will undergo subsequent modifications. We welcome comments and feedback from our readers.

Executive Summary

The Department of Social Justice is responsible for the welfare of persons with disabilities in Madhya Pradesh. The state has an estimated population of 14,08,528[1] persons with disabilities of the total population of 72,597,565 people.[2] Madhya Pradesh has issued five notifications for Education, one notification for Skill Training and Employment, six notifications for Social Security, Health, Rehabilitation and Recreation and one notification for Accessibility.

Legal Provisions

The notifications issued by the state for persons with disabilities are listed categorically as below:

Education

1.1 The government implements a scheme that provides scholarships for eligible students with disabilities to pursue higher education abroad. [3] Students applying for scholarship under this scheme should fulfil the prescribed educational requirements, not be more than 35 years of age on the 1st January of the year of application and the total family income should not be more than Rs. 96,000 per annum. This scholarship is available to only one child per family. Application should be made on the prescribed format with all required attachments including witness form, income certificate, caste certificate, disability certificate and domicile proof.

1.2 Madhya Pradesh implements a scheme that enables students with disabilities to pursue higher education in the fields of medicine, engineering, computer science and management studies through provision of maintenance and transport allowances and scholarships.[4]

Fees of the disabled students of government universities and colleges would be directly paid by the Department. For students studying in private universities and colleges, fees equal to the government fees would be paid by the department and the balance is to be borne by the student. The students are eligible for a maintenance allowance of Rs. 1500 for a period of ten months which will be directly paid to the college. Students with disabilities are eligible to receive an amount of Rs. 500 from the Nagar Nigram Kshetra and an amount of Rs. 300 from the Nagar Palik Kshetra towards transport allowance for a period of 10 months. This amount would be directly paid to the college authorities. Applications under this scheme are to be made in the prescribed format. Applicants should fulfil the following conditions:

• Should have a minimum disability of 40 per cent.
• Should be natives of Madhya Pradesh and should apply to study in universities and colleges within Madhya Pradesh.
• Annual income of the family should not exceed Rs. 96,000.
• Should not be in receipt of tuition fees and transport allowance from any other plan.
• Students belonging to SC / ST  or backward categories will have to choose to receive assistance for either SC/ST and backward classes, or for disabled students.

1.3 Scholarships are awarded to eligible students with disabilities at the following rates.[5]

Students with disabilities belonging to SC / ST category studying in technical colleges are also eligible to apply for scholarships. In addition to the scholarship given by the SC / ST boards, the Department of Social Justice also provides scholarship to weak SC / ST students. The annual income of parents whose children apply for scholarship should not exceed Rs. 96,000.

Students with disabilities belonging to SC / ST category who score 80 per cent in Class VIII are eligible to receive grant of Rs. 2500 as encouragement to continue higher studies. Similarly, disabled students of SC / ST category who score 60 percent in Class XII are eligible to receive Rs. 3000 as encouragement to continue higher studies in local colleges. Students with visual impairment belonging to SC / ST category and pursuing higher studies will be given reader allowance as listed below.

1.4 Madhya Pradesh implements a scheme to aid opening of hostels for students with disabilities.[6] The responsibility of opening and maintaining the hostel rests with the educational institution. Hostels may be opened with a minimum of five students. Separate hostels should be established for boys and girls. In case of rented buildings, the educational institution is eligible to receive a maximum of Rs. 1500 towards rent.

Boarding facilities are available only to students of government and non government educational institutions who are in Class XI or above and have applied for scholarship post matriculation. Students applying for hostels should be domiciled in Madhya Pradesh and their total family income should not exceed Rs. 96,000 per annum.

1.5 The Higher Primary Education Board has issued an order[7] stating that extra time of 20 minutes for every hour will be provided to students with disabilities in the upper limbs and students with cerebral palsy if attempting the exam without aid of a scribe. Extra time would not be granted to the students of the above category if using the services of a scribe. Extra time of 20 minutes per hour would be granted to students with visual impairment even if services of a scribe are used.

Skill Training and Employment

2.1 The government provides financial assistance to persons with disabilities as encouragement for succeeding in the civil services examination of Madhya Pradesh.[8] Assistance will be provided in the following scale

Applications have to be made to the Composite Coordinators of Social Justice of the respective districts within 30 days of declaration of results.

Social Security, Health, Rehabilitation & Recreation

3.1 The Department of Social Justice implements a scheme called Persons with Multiple Disabilities and Mental Retardation Grant 2009.[9] Persons with multiple disabilities and mental retardation who are above six years of age and receive a grant of Rs. 500 under this scheme are eligible to be covered by the Niramaya health insurance scheme being implemented by the National Trust. All beneficiaries will be insured by the district administration.

3.2 Persons with disabilities in the age range of six to 18 years with disability of not less than 40 percent and belonging to BPL families are eligible for pension of Rs. 150 per month under the Overall Social Safety Pension Scheme.[10]

3.3 The government implements a scheme to encourage marriages for persons with disabilities by providing a grant of Rs. 25,000 for marriages where either the groom or the bride is disabled. For marriages where both the bride and groom are disabled, a grant of Rs. 50,000 is provided.[11]

Individuals who are natives of Madhya Pradesh and who are non income tax payers are eligible to apply. The grant is available only for the first marriage of the disabled person. Applicants should be above 18 years of age in case of women and 21 years of age in case of men and should have a minimum disability of at least 40 per cent to be eligible.

3.4 Persons with multiple disabilities or mental retardation who are above the age of six years and whose parents / guardians are below poverty line are eligible to apply for aid from the Department of Social Justice.[12] The grant-in-aid will be directly deposited in the bank account of the applicant. Applicants should fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Should be natives of Madhya Pradesh.
• Should produce age proof stating that they are above six years of age that is issued by the town municipality, city corporations, town Panchayat or the grama Panchayat.
• Should produce a disability certificate stating a minimum of 40 per cent disability
• The bank account of the beneficiary should be a joint account with either parents or guardians and should be held in a nationalised bank, a co-operative bank or a regional rural bank.

3.5 The government has enhanced The aid to beneficiaries from the aided voluntary organisations to Rs. 1000 per month.[13]

3.6 The government has issued an order providing disabled employees of the state government with travel allowance of Rs. 500 per month.[14]

Accessibility

4.1 The Department of Information Technology has issued an order notifying all government departments to make their websites WCAG 2.0 compliant and use Unicode font in order to make all information accessible for persons with disabilities.[15]

[1]. http://www.pacsindia.org/hi/node/325.

[2]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhya_Pradesh.

[3]. Department of Social Justice No. 1-3-36/2008/26-2 Dated: Bhopal, 24.11.2008.

[4]. Department of Social Justice Sl. F. 3-35-2008-20-2 Dated: Bhopal, 30.12.2009.

[5]. Department of Social Justice, Sr. No. 1-3-120/2007/26-2 Dated: Bhopal, 8.02.2008.

[6]. Department of Social Justice, No. 1-3-44/2008/26-2 Dated: Bhopal, 8.09.2008.

[7]. Higher Primary Education Board, Sl. No. 7 Vidyochith/2007 Dated: Bhopal, 8.01.2007.

[8]. Department of Social Justice No. 1-3-59/2008/26-2 Dated: Bhopal, 8.08.2006.

[9]. Department of Social Justice Sr. F 1897/2012/26-2 Dated: Bhopal, 10.09.2012.

[10]. Department of Social Justice No. F 2-87/2010/26-2 Dated: Bhopal, 25.06.2013.

[11]. Department of Social Justice No. 1-3-42/2008/26-2 Dated: Bhopal, 12.06.2008.

[12]. Department of Social Justice Sr. No. 1-3-40/2008 Dated: Bhopal, 18.06.2009.

[13]. Department of Social Justice No. 3-12/2013/126-2, Sr. No. 906/2013/26-2 Dated: Bhopal, 30.04.2013.