NEW DELHI: Students with benchmark disability can get increased quota in higher education from this academic session as the government will notify rules for the Disability Act in a week's time, Union minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot said today.
With the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill last year, reservation in government jobs for persons with benchmark disabilities has been increased from three per cent to four per cent.
In higher education, the quota has been raised from three per cent to five per cent. Also, every child between the age group of 6 and 18 years with benchmark disability shall have the right to free education.
"The Disability Bill was passed by Parliament last year. We are hopeful that its rules will be notified in a week's time," the Union social justice minister said at a event on Inclusive India organised by the National Trust.
"The department of empowerment of persons with disabilities is in the final stages of drafting the rules for the Disability Act and very soon it will be notified," Secretary N S Kang said at the event.
We are hopeful that students with disabilities can avail benefits of higher quota from this session only, he said.
The legislation, which aims to make Indian laws compliant with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, will replace the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.
As per the new Act, assaulting, insulting, intimidating, denying food to a person with disability or sexually exploiting a differently-abled woman and performing a medical procedure on her without consent which may lead in termination of pregnancy will draw a jail term up to five years.
Any person who contravenes any provision of the Act will be punished with a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh.