PressInformationBureau

GovernmentofIndia
MinistryofSocialJustice&Empowerment
15December201511:46IST

NewInitiativesforSocialJustice&Empowerment
BillDraftedfortheRehabilitationofPersonsinDestitute
NationalFellowshipforOBCSandPostMatricScholarshipforEconomicallyBackwardClassesLaunched
AccessibleIndiaCampaignLaunchedtoCreateBarrierFreeEnvironmentforthePersonswithDisabilities
YearEndReview2015

Duringtheyear2015,MinistryofSocialJustice&Empowermentlaunchedvariousinitiativesforthewelfareof
ScheduledCaste,OtherBackwardClass,Denotified,Nomadic&SemiNomadicTribes,PersonswithDisabilities,Persons
inDestitute,SafaiKaramcharis,etc.Theseinitiativesincludefinancialsupporttothetargetgroups,rehabilitationofbeggars,
andresultorientedskilldevelopmentprogrammes.Someoftheprogrammeslaunchedduringtheyearinclude

AccessibleIndiaCampaign(SugamyaBharatAbhiyan):
AccessibleIndiaCampaignaimsatachievinguniversalaccessibilityforPersonswithDisabilitiesandtocreatean
enablingandbarrierfreeenvironment,withafocusonthreeverticals:BuiltEnvironmentPublicTransportationand
Information&CommunicationTechnologies.
Itwaslaunchedon3rdDecember2015,commemoratingInternationalDayofPersonswithDisabilities.

Itwillbetakenupin75selectcitiestostartwith.
Itaimsatenhancingtheproportionofaccessiblegovernmentbuildings,airports,railwaystations,PublicTransport,
PublicDocumentsandWebsites

ShriArunJaitleyUnion Minister for Finance, launchingAccessible India Campaign,ShriThaawarChandGehlot,Union

Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Vijay Sampla, Shri Krishan Pal Gujjar, Ministers of State for Social
Justice&EmpowermentalsointhepictureAccessibleIndexisunderwaytotoserveasatooltoassesstheextenttowhich
the processes and systems of an organization are aligned to ensure independent, dignified and positive dealing with
employeesandclientswithdisabilities.

1stInternationalFilmFestivalforthePersonswithDisabilities
Forthefirsttime,theMinistryinpartnershipwithNationalFilmDevelopmentCorporationhasbroughtoutaFilm
FestivalforthePersonswithDisabilities,inrecognitionofthespiritofthepersonswithdisabilities.
ThisFilmFestivalwasheldfromDecember1toDecember3,2015.
Itwillshowcasecinemasthatopenourworldtotheirmindspaceandalsocinemathathasbeenmadebythem.

The Union Minister for Social Justice and

Empowerment, Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot
presentinganawardattheclosingceremonyofthe
1st International Film Festival for Persons with
Disabilities, in New Delhi on December 03, 2015.
TheMinisterofStateforInformation&Broadcasting,Col.RajyavardhanSinghRathoreandactorVivekOberoiarealsoseen.

It helps bring to the fore the everyday struggles of persons with disabilities and enables governments and
organizationsacrosstheworldtoaddresstheseissues,helpthepersonswithdisabilitiesachievetheirfullpotential
by providing them with all possible resources, raise awareness about their needs, and make communities more
inclusiveforthem.
Inaworldwherepersonswithdisabilitiesoftengetsidelined,thiseventwillputthespotlightontheirworkand
expressionthatdeservesappreciationfortheirskill,honestyofthought,andforauniqueperspectiveontheirlife,
challengesandaspirations.

StepstakenbytheministrytopromoteEntrepreneurship:
VentureCapitalFundofRs.200CroreforScheduleCasteEntrepreneurscreatedon22December2014.Thescheme

wouldbeimplementedbyIndustrialFinanceCorporationofIndiaLimited.TheFundhasbeenregisteredwithSEBI.
CreditEnhancementGuaranteeSchemeforYoungScheduledCasteEntrepreneurslaunchedwithabudgetofRs.
200 Crore to facilitate concessional finance. This will encourage Entrepreneurship among SC and result in job
creation.

StepstakenbytheministrytopropagateDr.Ambedkar'sideas
FoundationstoneofDr.AmbedkarInternationalCentreforSocialJusticeinDelhilaidon20 thApril2015.The
CentrewillcomeupatanapproximatecostofRs.195Crore.

TheUnionMinisterforSocialJusticeandEmpowerment,ShriThaawarChandGehlotaddressingattheFoundationStone
layingCeremonyofDr.AmbedkarInternationalCentre,inNewDelhionApril20,2015.ThePrimeMinister,ShriNarendra
Modi,theMinistersofStateforSocialJustice&Empowerment,ShriKrishanPalandShriVijaySamplaandtheSecretary,
MinistryofSocialJusticeandEmpowerment,Ms.AnitaAgnihotriarealsoseen.

Dr.AmbedkarMemorialtobeconstructedatanapproximatecostofRs.100Crore
BrailleeditionofDr.Ambedkarwritings&speechesreleased

Billinthepipline
A draft bill The Persons in Destitute (Protection Care & Rehabilitation) Bill 2015 has been circulated to all
States/UTsfortheircomments/suggestion.

StepstakenbytheministrytowardsimpartingSkillDevelopmenttrainingtoSC,OBC,etc
NationalScheduleCasteFinanceDevelopmentCorporationprovidedskilldevelopmenttrainingto13258trainees
during201415
NationalSafaiKarmacharisFinanceDevelopmentCorporationprovidedskilldevelopmenttrainingto8750trainees
during201415
CommercialMotorDrivingTrainingwithSelfDefenseskillsforwomenimpartedbyNationalSafaiKarmacharis
FinanceDevelopmentCorporation
NationalBackwardClassesFinanceDevelopmentCorporationprovidedskilldevelopmenttrainingto13510trainees
during201415
NationalActionPlanforSkillTrainingofPersonsWithDisabilitieshasbeenlaunchedbywhich25LakhPwDswill
beSkillTrainedbytheyear2022.

NewScholarshipSchemesintroducedbytheministry
NationalFellowshipforOBCswaslaunchedandimplementedthroughUGC.
DrAmbedkarPostMatricScholarshipSchemeforEconomicallyBackwardClasseslaunched

OtherInitiatives
NationalCommissionforDenotified,NomadicandSemiNomadicTribes(NCDNT)constitutedtopreparestate
wiselistofDenotified,Nomadic&SemiNomadicTribescommunitieswhoarenotincludedinSC/ST/OBCandto
assesswelfaremeasuresforthesecommunities.
NewDisabledfriendlyandInteractivewebsiteforNationalTrust http://thenationaltrust.gov.in/content/launched.
NGORegistrationsandpayingdonationscanbedoneinthewebsiteitself.
10New/RevisedSchemesforthewelfareofpersonswithAutism,CerebralPalsy,MentalRetardationandMultiple
DisabilitieslaunchedbyNationalTrust.

The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot releasing the publication at the
launch of the new / revised schemes of National Trust for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental
Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, in New Delhi on
November24,2015.TheMinistersofStateforSocialJustice&Empowerment,ShriKrishanPalandShriVijaySamplaand
otherdignitariesarealsoseen.

New Interactive website http://nbcfdc.gov.in/ and etracking system launched by National Backward Classes
FinanceDevelopmentCorporation
NationalBackwardClassesFinanceDevelopmentCorporationhaslaunchedeMarketingplatformtothetarget
group
DrugDeAddictionHelplineNumber1XXXXX0031launchedtohelpDrugAbusevictimsandtheirfamilies
NationalSafaiKarmacharisFinanceDevelopmentCorporationlaunchedSwachhtaUdyamiYojanaforfinancing
viablecommunitytoiletprojects&Garbagecollectionvehicles.
SchemeforEstablishmentofCollegefordeafineachofthefiveregionsofthecountryhasbeenlaunchedin
January,2015.TheobjectoftheSchemeistoprovideequaleducationalopportunitiestohearingimpairedstudents
for pursuing higher studies and improve the chances of employability and better quality of life through higher
education.