Targets missed, Accessible India campaign’s deadline extended

Syllabus subtopic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Prelims and Mains focus: about Accessible India Campaign and its significance, steps taken for its implementation

News: The deadline for the government’s Accessible India campaign that aims at making public spaces friendly for persons with disabilities has been extended due to “slow progress,” the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has informed the Lok Sabha.

Due to slow progress, revised deadlines have been extended to March 2020.

Steps taken and challenges

Statewise details of the facilities for the disabled at railway stations were not maintained, but the Indian Railways was committed to making its stations accessible.

Shortterm facilities like standard ramps, nonslippery walkways, signages, disabledfriendly toilets and help desks are included in the plan.

In the longterm, inter-platform transfer and engraving on the edges of the platforms are proposed. Regarding Central government buildings maintained by the Central Public Works Department, 211 CPWD buildings had been made accessible. In all, a total of ?354.45 crore had been released for making 1,058 public buildings accessible around the country, the reply said.

Under the Rights of PwD Act, 2016, all existing and new public buildings have to follow the accessibility standards notified on June 15, 2017. The existing buildings were given five years to comply.

The original deadlines under the Accessible India campaign were July 2016 for conducting an accessibility audit of 2550 of the most important government buildings in 50 cities and making them completely accessible and March 2018.

Source: The Hindu

Join Our Telegram

India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreem

India–Azerbaijan

05 Apr, 26
SHARE

A year after tensions arising from Operation Sindoor, India and Azerbaijan have taken steps to restore and normalise bilateral relations. The 6th round of Foreign Office Consultations, held in Baku, marked the first such engagement since 2022, signaling renewed diplomatic momentum. Recent Diplomatic Engagement During the consultations, bo

India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreem

04 Apr, 26
SHARE

The India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement has completed four years since its signing. Both countries now aim to build on this progress through strengthened collaboration and ambitious targets, including reaching AUD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. What is the India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Tra

ADR Report on Political Funding

03 Apr, 26
SHARE

A recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analyses donations of ?20,000 or more declared to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by national political parties for FY 2024–25, highlighting transparency and accountability in political financing. Key Findings Massive Funding Surge Total donations to nationa

Maritime Chokepoints

03 Apr, 26
SHARE

Maritime chokepoints are narrow channels along global shipping routes where maritime traffic is concentrated. These points are geopolitically and economically critical, as they handle a large proportion of global trade, especially energy shipments. Current Relevance Over two-thirds of seaborne energy trade passes through a handful o

US-Israel-Iran War

01 Apr, 26
SHARE

Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury (U.S.) and Operation Roaring Lion (Israel), the geopolitical landscape has shifted fundamentally with the confirmed death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Iran retaliated through Operation True Promise 4, launching missile attacks against Israel and nearby Gulf states. The escala