The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 remains only a legal document without intense sensitisation of government functionaries and citizens regarding disability. Comment.
Approach · directive: “comment”
What it asks · Comment on the gap between the Act's legal rights and their delivery, showing why attitudes and sensitisation of officials and citizens matter.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- Comment: what the Act promises — the rights and duties that make it a strong legal document
- Comment: the gap between statute and practice, and why sensitisation of officials and citizens decides delivery
- Suggest what sensitisation and accountability should look like
Open with · The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises 21 disabilities and moves from a charity approach to a rights-based one.
Cover
- Rights: 4 per cent job and 5 per cent higher-education reservation for benchmark disabilities, free schooling for ages 6–18, accessibility duties and penalties.
- Implementation gaps: public buildings, transport and websites remain inaccessible, and deadlines under the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) were extended.
- Attitudes: stigma and the charity view persist; officials are often unaware of duties such as reasonable accommodation and accessible formats.
- Vacancies and certification: reserved posts stay unfilled, and disability certificates and UDID cards are delayed.
- Sensitisation needed: training for police, judiciary, teachers, health workers and employers, inclusive curricula, and public awareness of rights.
- Accountability: Chief and State Commissioners and special courts exist but lack resources; access audits, penalties and budgets are needed.
Close with · A rights law changes lives only when attitudes, budgets and enforcement change together; sensitisation is the bridge from statute to practice.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2022, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 224 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises 21 disabilities and moves from a charity approach to a rights-based one. Its provisions are strong on paper; delivery depends on officials and citizens who understand disability.
A strong legal document
- Rights: 4 per cent reservation in government jobs and 5 per cent in higher education for benchmark disabilities, free education for ages 6 to 18, accessibility duties for buildings, transport and information, and penalties for violations.
- Institutions: Chief and State Commissioners for persons with disabilities, and designated special courts.
Why it stays on paper without sensitisation
- Public buildings, transport and websites remain inaccessible, and deadlines under the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) were extended.
- Officials often do not know duties such as reasonable accommodation and accessible formats; reserved posts stay vacant; disability certificates and UDID cards are delayed.
- Citizens: stigma and the charity view keep persons with disabilities out of schools, workplaces and public life.
- Commissioners and special courts lack staff and budgets, so violations go unpunished.
What sensitisation needs
- Training for police, judges, teachers, health workers and employers; disability in school curricula and civil-service training; public campaigns on rights.
- Accountability: access audits, penalties, dedicated budgets and time-bound certification.
A rights law changes lives only when attitudes, budgets and enforcement change together; sensitisation is the bridge from the statute book to daily practice.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.