National Resource Kit: The Odisha Chapter (Call for Comments)

Executive Summary

Odisha has the highest percentage (2.78%) of persons with disabilities in the country. The state has framed the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Amended Odisha Rules 2012 to implement the provisions under the central Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995. The state has issued two notifications in education, one notification in employment and one notification for health and rehabilitation.

State Profile

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Population: 41,947,358[1]
• Population of Persons with disabilities: 10, 50,000 (2.78%)[2].  (Census 2001)
• HDI: 0.452 Rank: 27th
• Literacy: 73.45%
• Department: Women and Child Development Department
• Directorate: Directorate for Welfare of Persons with Disabilities

Legal Provisions

The state of Odisha has framed the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Amended Odisha Rules 2012 to implement the provisions under the central Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995 (Persons with Disabilities Act).[3] These rules have been issued as an amendment to the previous Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Odisha Rules 2003.

The government of Odisha has formed the Directorate for Welfare of Persons with Disabilities under the Women and Child Development Department to cater to the requirements of persons with disabilities in the state.[4] The government has appointed the Collectors of each district as Deputy Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities for their respective district to assist the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in discharging their functions.[5]

The state in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) (i) and (2) (h) of Section 13 of the persons with Disabilities Act, appointed the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) and Chairperson, Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights as members of the State Co-ordination Committee as constituted in the Department Notification No. 708-WCD, dated the 8th January 2003.[6]

The various provisions by the state of Odisha for the persons with disabilities are listed categorically as under:

Education
The government of Odisha has framed the guidelines for establishment, recognition and grant-in-aid to institutions imparting education to children with disabilities to fulfil the mandates under the Persons with Disabilities Act, National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act 1998 and the Right of Education Act, 2009. [7]

Odisha offers an integrated scholarship scheme for students with disabilities titled ‘Banishree – A Scholarship for Students with Special Needs’.[8] The scheme is open to students to continue their education from Class I to university education. Students from middle school and upwards (Class V and upwards) are eligible to apply under this scheme only if they do not receive any scholarship from the Government of India. Students from special schools registered under the Persons with Disabilities Act are eligible to apply provided that they are not in receipt of any grant-in-aid from the central or state government. Students with disabilities pursuing distance education through recognised universities and government organisation, or those pursuing professional, technical or professional courses in any of the recognised institutes are eligible to apply.

• Applicants must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
• Should be bonafide resident of Odisha
• Should be a regular student of the educational institution
• Total income of the applicant’s family should not be more than Rs. 60,000 per annum.
• Should not be in receipt of any assistance, stipend or scholarship from the central or state governments under any other scheme.
• Should enrol and regularly attend any institution irrespective of whether the applicant has passed the examination or not in a particular year.

Within the state:

• Class I – Class V: Rs. 100 per month
• Class VI – Class XI: Rs. 140 per month
• Class +2 and Class +3: Rs. 160 per month
• University – Post Graduation: Rs. 190 per month
• Technical and Vocational: Rs. 190 per month

Outside the state:

• Students prosecuting normal course of study or technical/ vocational / professional education/training not available in the State and not covered by Govt. of India Scholarship are given a scholarship of Rs. 250 per month.

Employment

The government has made provisions to extend the benefits of the Odisha Revised Pay Rule 2008 to the teaching staff of the special schools for persons with disabilities.[9]

Health & Rehabilitation

The District Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) Bhubaneswar has been renamed as the State Institute of Disability Rehabilitation Bhubaneswar and will function as the nodal centre for disability rehabilitation in the state and will be under the control of the Directorate for Welfare of Persons with Disabilities.[10]

[1]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odisha

[2]. http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=39515

[3]. Women & Child Development Department, No. 1814 Cuttack Saturday September 22 2012/ Bhadra 31 1934, S.R.O No. 518/2012 Dated: 22 June 2012

[4]. Women & Child Development Department, No. 1881 Cuttack Friday, September 28th 2012/ Aswina 6 1934, No. 16140-DW-II-68/2012-WCD Dated: 15th September 2012

[5]. Women & Child Development Department, No. 1588 Cuttack Wednesday July 13 2011/ Asadha 22 1933, S.R.O. No. 537/ 2011 Dated: 30th June 2011

[6]. Women & Child Development Department, No. 982 Cuttack Thursday May17th 2012/ Baisakha 27 1934, No. 7871-DW-II-E-90/2010-WCD Dated: 4th May 2012

[7]. Women & Child Development Department, No. 112 Cuttack Monday, January 14th 20 13/ Pausa 24D 1934,  No. 532/2013-WCD

[8]. Women & Child Development Department, No. 1426 Cuttack Friday July 25 2008/ Sravana 3 1930, No. 15776-HW-2-23/2008-WCD

[9]. Women & Child Development Department, No. 2189 Cuttack, Friday September 23 2011/ Aswina 1 1933 No. 15084-DW-I-(A)-40/2011-WCD

[10]. Women & Child Development Department, No. 1290 Cuttack Thursday June 2 2011/ Jaistha 12 1933, No. 10080-DW-H-E-412011-WCD