NEW DELHI: The government has made it compulsory to use Aadhaar as an identity document for accessing six scholarships and benefiting from numerous schemes and initiatives designed for individuals with disabilities. Those who do not possess Aadhaar numbers must provide Aadhaar enrollment slips along with other required documents to avail these benefits.
In a notification, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) has mandated Aadhaar use to avail six scholarships — pre-matric, post-matric, top class education, national overseas scholarship, national fellowship, and free coaching — by persons with disabilities.
Also, availing services under the Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme for adults and children, Niramaya, Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances, District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC), residential care for adults, and national institutes for children and adults would need Aadhaar card.
The notification said any individual desirous of availing benefits under the schemes but does not possess the Aadhaar number or has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar shall be required to make application for Aadhaar enrolment before registering for the schemes.
Provided that till the time Aadhaar is assigned to the individual, benefits under these schemes can be availed by individuals by production of Aadhaar Enrolment Identification slip along with other documents like PAN card, passport, ration card, voter identity card among others.
Pre-Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities is open to students with a benchmark disability, which is defined as a disability of 40 per cent or more according to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
Post-Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities provides financial assistance including scholarship, book grant, escort/reader allowance.
Scholarship for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities aims at recognising and promoting quality education amongst students with disabilities by providing full financial support for pursuing studies at the level of postgraduate or diploma in any discipline in premier higher educational institutes such as IIT, IIM and NIT.
National Overseas Scholarship is to facilitate the low-income students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, and families of landless agricultural labourers and traditional artisans to obtain higher education.
The National Fellowship for Students with Disabilities provides financial assistance to those pursuing M.Phil. and Ph.D. in any university/institution recognised by the UGC.
The Free Coaching for Students with Disabilities aims to provide free coaching facilities to students with benchmark disabilities to enable them to appear in competitive examinations for government jobs and to seek admission for various professional and technical courses.
The Deen Dayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme provides financial assistance to voluntary organisations working for the education and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
The Niramaya scheme aims to provide affordable health insurance to persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities.
The ADIP Scheme gives assistance to the disabled persons in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation.
DDRC is an initiative to facilitate comprehensive services to persons with disabilities in rural areas.
