THE MINISTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT(DR. SATYANARAYAN JATIYA)
(a) Mental illness is recognized as one of the disabilities under Section 2 (i) of the
Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act, 1995.
(b) to (f): The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and
Full Participation) Act, 1995, which came into force from 7.2.1996, is a
comprehensive piece of legislation which, inter alia, provides for both
preventive and promotional aspects of rehabilitation like education,
employment and vocational training, job reservation, research and manpower
development, development of barrier-free environment, rehabilitation of
persons with disability, including mentally handicapped, unemployment
allowance for the disabled, special insurance scheme for disabled employees
and establishment of homes for persons with severe disability etc. The Act
stipulates, inter-alia, that the appropriate Governments and local authorities
shall, by notification, formulate schemes for ensuring employment of persons
with disabilities, and such schemes may provide for training and welfare of
persons with disabilities, etc. The Act also provides that appropriate
governments and the local authorities shall, within the limits of their economic
capacity and development, provide incentives to employers both in public and
private sectors to ensure that at least five per cent of their work force is
composed of persons with disabilities.
The National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped (NIMH), Secunderabad,
an autonomous organization under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice
& Empowerment, is engaged in human resource development through
conducting degree/diploma courses, training programmes including parent
training programmes etc. The Institute provides special services of early
intervention, special education, behaviour modification, guidance and
counseling, speech pathology and audiology, physiotherapy, occupational
therapy, vocational training and job placement, genetic counseling and
management of multiple handicaps by multidisciplinary team of professionals.
Besides, NIMH also conducts outreach programmes by organizing camps in
rural areas.
The National Handicapped Finance & Development Corporation (NHFDC)
set up in 1997 by the Government provides financial assistance at
concessional rate of interest to eligible disabled persons, including mentally
handicapped so as to enable them to take up self-employment ventures. The
National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental
Retardation and Multiple Disabilities has been set up by an Act of 1999 for
welfare of the target groups. The National Programme for Rehabilitation of
Persons with Disabilities has been approved in the State sector for
implementation in order to create infrastructure at State/District/Block and
Gram Panchayat level for providing comprehensive rehabilitation services for
persons with disabilities. A Central Scheme is also under implementation for
setting up Composite Regional Centres for providing composite rehabilitation
services. Over hundred districts have been identified for setting up District
Centers for persons with disabilities with the objective of providing
comprehensive rehabilitation services for disabled persons, including mentally
handicapped.
After November 1998, the Central Coordination Committee has met twice i.e.
on 24.10.2000 and 27.6.2001.
