Centre for Internet and Society

January 2012 Bulletin

praskrishna — 2012-07-09T09:36:46Z

Welcome to the Centre for Internet and Society newsletter! In this issue we bring you the updates of our research, events, media coverage and videos of events organized by us during the month of January 2012!

Digital Natives with a Cause?

Digital Natives with a Cause? is a knowledge programme initiated by CIS, India and Hivos, Netherlands. It is a research inquiry that seeks to look at the changing landscape of social change and political participation and the role that young people play through digital and internet technologies, in emerging information societies. The major outputs have been a four book collective asking questions about theory and practice around 'digital revolutions' in a post MENA (Middle East - North Africa) world, a position paper, a scouting study and three international workshops.

Events Organised

Digital AlterNatives Video Contest: The Everyday Digital Native — To Be, To Think, To Act, To Connect

Digital AlterNatives Tweet-a-Review

'Digital Natives with a Cause?' project invites readers to review essays from the 'Digital AlterNatives with a Cause', a four-book collective published by Centre for Internet & Society and Hivos.

Digital AlterNatives: Book Reviews

Alternative Approaches to Social Change

“Observations about intangible aspects of a movement will keep a research from clinging to activism with a capital A, and start seeing a gradation in the social movement practices. It is constructive and opens the door to analyses of multi-dimensional movements such as the Blank Noise initiative (India). Drawing on methods of identifying new developments to the field of social movement, Maesy examines some aspects of it: the issue, strategy, site of action, and internal mode of organization.”
Nuraini Juliastuti, Co-founder, KUNCI Cultural Studies Center

Accessibility

India has an estimated 70 million disabled persons who are unable to read printed materials due to some form of physical, sensory, cognitive or other disability. This includes persons with blindness, learning disabilities such as dyslexia, cerebral palsy and persons who do not have full control over their limbs. For these people, the material needs to be converted into alternate formats such as Braille, audio or video or electronic formats (text document, word document or PDF) which they can access using assistive technologies. Our key research has focused on a submission to amend the Indian Copyright to the HRD Ministry, publishing a policy handbook on e-accessibility, research on accessible mobile handsets in India and an analysis of the Working Draft of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2010.

Journal Article

Technology for Accessibility in Higher Education, published in the Journal: Enabling Access for Persons with Disabilities to Higher Education and Workplace. Nirmita Narasimhan wrote an article.

Featured Research

Making Mobile Phones and Services Accessible. CIS researched, edited and published this report in partnership with G3ict and ITU. The report contains a foreword, eleven chapters, a bibliography and glossary with contributions from Deepti Bharthur, Nirmita Narasimhan and Axel Leblois.

Upcoming Event

ITU Tutorial on Audiovisual Media Accessibility, organized by the International Telecommunication Union, India International Centre, 14-15 March 2012. CIS is hosting the meeting. The Tutorial will be preceded by the fourth meeting of the Focus Group on Audio Visual Media Accessibility (FG AVA) on 13 March 2012. This meeting will take place at the same venue and will also be hosted by CIS, in cooperation with the ITU-APT Foundation of India.

Access to Knowledge

Access to Knowledge is a campaign to promote the fundamental principles of justice, freedom, and economic development. It deals with issues like copyrights, patents and trademarks, which are an important part of the digital landscape. We prepared the India report for the Consumers International IP Watchlist, made submission to the HRD Ministry on WIPO Broadcast Treaty, questioned the demonization of pirates, and advocated against laws (such as PUPFIP Bill) that privatize public funded knowledge.

Event Organised

Gandhi, Freedom, and the Dilemmas of Copyright: To commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary, CIS organised a public lecture. Prof. Shyamkrishna Balganesh of the University of Pennsylvania gave a lecture.

Openness

The advent of the Internet has radically defined what it means to be open and collaborative. Even the Internet is built upon open standards and free/libre/open source software. CIS has been committed and actively campaigned for promotion of open standards, open access and free/libre/open source software.

Workshop Reports

Summary of the Minutes of the Workshop on Biodiversity Informatics, organized by the Western Ghats Portal team to explore the contemporary state of biodiversity informatics at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), Bangalore on 25 November 2011.
Design!PubliC — Innovation and the Public Interest: On the 14th of October, 2011, the Center for Knowledge Societies organized the second edition of the Design Public Conclave, a conversation on how innovation can serve the Public Interest. The conclave was held at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Bangalore.
Report on the 'Open Access to Academic Knowledge' workshop: On Wednesday the 2nd of November, during Open Access Week, the Indian Institute of Science in conjunction with the Centre for Internet and Society held a workshop on Open Access at the National Centre for Science Information, in Bangalore. We recorded the meeting and published it online.

Event Organised

Geekup on Open Data in Bangalore: Hapee de Groot, Hivos, Netherlands gave a talk on Open Data and its use for citizen engagement.

Media Coverage

Wikipedia turns 11 today: The Bangalore event, open to all Wikipedia users, contributors and enthusiasts, is being held at the Centre for Internet and Society at Domlur.
The Hindu, 15 January 2012

Internet Governance

The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society has defined internet governance as the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the internet. CIS partnered with Privacy International and Society in Action Group which has produced outputs in banking, telecommunications, consumer rights, etc., submitted open letters to Parliamentary Committee on UID, feedbacks on NIA Bill, and IT Rules.

Newspaper / Magazine Articles

Keeping it Private
As we disclose more information online, we must ask who might access it and why, writes Nishant Shah in the Indian Express, 15 January 2012.

Click to Change
From organising political protests and flash mobs to uploading their versions of Kolaveri Di, people brought about change with the help of the internet, Nishant Shah, Indian Express, 1 January 2012.

The Quixotic Fight to Clean up the Web
The ongoing attempt to pre-screen online content won’t change anything. It will only drive netizens into the arms of criminals, writes Sunil Abraham, Tehelka Magazine, Vol 9, Issue 04, 28 January 2012.

Sense and Censorship
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) bills, at the US House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, appear to enforce property rights, but are, in fact, trade bills, Sunil Abraham in the Indian Express, 20 January 2012.

Interview

Our Internet and the Law
Nishant Shah was interviewed by the BBC Channel 5 (Radio) for its Outriders section. Jamillah Knowles reports this. Listen to the podcast online, BBC Radio, 24 January 2012.

Event Reports

Privacy Matters — Analyzing the Right to "Privacy Bill"
On January 21, 2012 a public conference “Privacy Matters” was held at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. It was the sixth conference organised in the series of regional consultations held as “Privacy Matters”. The present conference analyzed the Draft Privacy Bill and the participants discussed the challenges and concerns of privacy in India.

Future of Integrated Science Education in Higher Education in India
The Higher Education Innovation and Research Application (HEIRA) at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS) and the Centre for Contemporary Studies (CCS) at the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) hosted a two day workshop on 2 and 3 January 2012 on the Future of Integrated Science Education in Higher Education in India at the Centre for Contemporary Studies, IISc. Nishant Shah participated in the workshop.

Media Coverage

Twitter’s Censorship Move Aimed at Regaining China?
"The region-specific blocking was already being used on video hosting websites like YouTube and Hulu, where due to the wishes of copyright owners many videos are not available in India. Twitter is extending this technology to its tweets.”
Pranesh Prakash in International Business Times, 28 January 2012.

Google's privacy policy raises hackles (Times of India, January 26, 2012)
“Storing data makes it prone to misuse by authorities as well as corporations... I don't want my bakery shop owner to know what kind of medicines I buy from the nearby medical store.”
Sunil Abraham in the Times of India, 26 January 2012.

Google to change privacy policy to use personal info of users
“New changes are not good for a consumer's privacy.”
Sunil Abraham in Punjab Newsline, 27 January 2012.

Tangled Web
“We did a policy sting operation wherein we sent fraudulent notices to big web sites...in one case where we asked for the removal of three comments, they removed all 13. So there is already a private censorship underway.”
Sunil Abraham in the Week, 21 January 2012.

POV: Should user-generated content be monitored?
“We should not fool ourselves into thinking that private sector companies like Google will defend our fundamental rights. The next Parliament session is the last opportunity for parliamentarians to ask for the revocation of the rules for intermediaries, cyber-cafes and reasonable security practices.”
Sunil Abraham in afaqs, 19 January 2012.

Indian Internet Lawsuit Puts Spotlight on Freedom of Expression
“These rules have the potential to curtail debate and discussion on the net... They allow for all sorts of subjective tests by private parties and we predicted they would have a chilling effect on freedom of expression online.”
Sunil Abraham in the Voice of America, 19 January 2012.

India: obscene pics of gods require massive human censorship of Google, Facebook
“It’s difficult to establish exactly what is anti-religious: for example, the Hindu profession of belief in multiple gods is blasphemous to Muslims, Christians and Jews.”
Sunil Abraham in ars technica, 14 January 2012.
Is India Ignoring its own Internet Protections?
“The I.T. Act provides immunity to (Internet companies) and that should be the default starting position.”
Sunil Abraham in the Wall Street, 16 January 2012.

India internet: clean-up or censorship?
Sunil Abraham was quoted in Financial Time’s beyondbrics, 13 January 2012.

Twists and turns of the SOPA opera
“In terms of infrastructure, the U.S. controls critical web resources. Contrasting this to the Chinese firewall that blocks content for users within its jurisdiction, the U.S. decision to redirect a link can act as a ‘global block’.”
Sunil Abraham in the Hindu, 15 January 2012.

Activists cry foul against Aadhaar
Sunil Abraham participated in the meet on Aadhaar convened by the Indian Social Action Forum.
The Telegraph, 12 January 2012.

NGO questions people's privacy in UID scheme
“The UID project was allowed to march on without any protection being put in place.”
Sunil Abraham in the Times of India, 11 January 2012.

Revealed: Bangalore’s Basic Instincts
“If you look at the Google trend or any other website, Bangalore does not figure among the top 10 cities that surfs for porn. But that does not mean that Bangalore does not surf porn. It only means that we have a very sophisticated surfer with a very specific type. They don’t go through Google or other websites. They know how to go about it. But whether it affects their personal lives is lot more complicated.”
Sunil Abraham in the Bangalore Mirror, 8 January 2012.

Facebook, Google face censorship in India
“Traditional intellectual property rights holders like movie studios, music companies and software vendors are trying to protect their obsolete business models by pushing for the adoption of blanket surveillance and filtering technologies.”
Sunil Abraham in SmartPlanet, 5 January 2012.

Trail of the Trolls
“Trolling provokes a non-productive argument and as of now it is not considered a criminal offence anywhere in the world.”
The Telegraph, 4 January 2012.

Constitution of Group of Experts to Deliberate on Privacy Issues
It has been decided to constitute a Small Group of Experts under the Chairmanship of Justice A.P. Shah, Former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court, to identify the privacy issues and prepare a paper to facilitate authoring the Privacy Bill. Pranesh Prakash is one of the members.
Published by the Planning Commission, New Delhi.

2011: The year India began to harness social media
“We saw an increased sharing of digital content whether photos, videos, songs, news or blogs pointing to the Why This Kolaveri Di video, which went viral on YouTube with over 1.3 million views within a week of its release.”
Nishant Shah in the Sunday Guardian, 1 January 2012.

Blog Posts

Section 79 of the Information Technology Act by Pranesh Prakash
How India Makes E-books Easier to Ban than Books (And How We Can Change That) by Pranesh Prakash. This was reproduced in Medianama.

Upcoming Events

The High Level Privacy Conclave
Privacy India in partnership with the International Development Research Centre, Canada, Society in Action Group, Gurgaon and Privacy International, UK is organizing the High Level Privacy Conclave at the Paharpur Business Centre, Nehru Place Greens in New Delhi on Friday, 3 February 2012.

All India Privacy Symposium
Privacy India in partnership with the International Development Research Centre, Canada, and Society in Action Group, Gurgaon, Privacy International, UK and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative is organizing the All India Privacy Symposium at the India International Centre, New Delhi on Saturday, 4 February 2012.

Events Organised

Workshop on the Standardization of Kannada Computing Terminology, 28-29 January 2012, Centre for Internet & Society, Bangalore.
The Curious Case of Whose Data is it Anyway? The second round of discussions of the Exposing Data Series was co-organized by Tactical Tech and CIS. Siddharth Hande and Hapee de Groot gave lectures.
"ಕನ್ನಡ ಮತ್ತು ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದ ಜೊತೆ ಜೊತೆಗೆ..." organised in TERI, Bangalore, 22 January 2012.

Telecom

The growth in telecommunications in India has been impressive. While the potential for growth and returns exist, a range of issues need to be addressed for this potential to be realized. One aspect is more extensive rural coverage and the second aspect is a countrywide access to broadband which is low at about eight million subscriptions. Both require effective and efficient use of networks and resources, including spectrum. In this connection, Shyam Ponappa continues to write his monthly column for the Business Standard.

Article by Shyam Ponappa

Reversing India's Downward Trajectory
The country can regain growth momentum with rate cuts and telecom reforms, writes Shyam Ponappa in this column published in the Business Standard on 5 January 2012.

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CIS is grateful to Kusuma Trust which was founded by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin, for its core funding and support for most of its projects.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/january-2012-bulletin

January 2011 Bulletin

praskrishna — 2012-07-30T11:25:44Z

Greetings from the Centre for Internet and Society! It gives us immense pleasure to present regular updates on the progress of our research on the mainstream Internet media. In this issue of we bring our latest project updates, news and media coverage:

Researchers@Work

RAW is a multidisciplinary research initiative. CIS believes that in order to understand the contemporary concerns in the field of Internet and society, it is necessary to produce local and contextual accounts of the interaction between the Internet and socio-cultural and geo-political structures. To build original research knowledge base, the RAW programme has been collaborating with different organisations and individuals to focus on its three year thematic of Histories of the Internets in India. Monographs finalised from these projects have been published on the CIS website for public review:

Digital Natives

CIS has interest in developing Digital Identities as a core research area and looks at practices, policies and scholarships in the field to explore relationships between Internet, technology and identity.

Column on Digital Natives

A fortnightly column on ‘Digital Natives’ authored by Nishant Shah is featured in the Sunday Eye, the national edition of Indian Express, Delhi, from 19 September 2010 onwards. The following article was published in the Indian Express recently:

Is That a Friend on Your Wall? [published in the Indian Express on 9 January 2010]

Workshop

The third and final workshop in the Digital Natives with a Cause? research project will take place in Santiago, Chile, from the 8 to 10 February. Open Call and FAQs for the workshop are online:

Blog Entry by Maesey Angelina

Maesy Angelina is a MA candidate on International Development, specializing in Children and Youth Studies at the International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University of Rotterdam. She is working on her research on the activism of digital natives under the Hivos-CIS Digital Natives Knowledge Programme. She spent a month at CIS, working on her dissertation, exploring the Blank Noise Project under the Digital Natives with a Cause framework. She writes a series of blog entries. The latest is:

The Digital Tipping Point

Announcement

Rising Voices Seeks Micro-Grant Proposals for Citizen Media Outreach

Accessibility

Estimates of the percentage of the world's population that is disabled vary considerably. But what is certain is that if we count functional disability, then a large proportion of the world's population is disabled in one way or another. At CIS we work to ensure that the digital technologies, which empower disabled people and provide them with independence, are allowed to do so in practice and by the law. To this end, we support web accessibility guidelines, and change in copyright laws that currently disempower the persons with disabilities.

New Blog Entry

Accessibility in Telecommunications

Intellectual Property

Copyright, patents and trademarks are the most important components on the Internet. CIS believes that access to knowledge and culture is essential as it promotes creativity and innovation and bridges the gaps between the developed and developing world positively. Hence, the campaigns for an international treaty on copyright exceptions for print-impaired, advocating against PUPFIP Bill, calls for the WIPO Broadcast Treaty to be restricted to broadcast, questioning the demonization of 'pirates', and supporting endeavours that explore and question the current copyright regime. Our latest endeavour has resulted into these:

New Blog Entry

New Release of IPR Chapter of India-EU Free Trade Agreement

Internet Governance

Although there may not be one centralised authority that rules the Internet, the Internet does not just run by its own volition: for it to operate in a stable and reliable manner, there needs to be in place infrastructure, a functional domain name system, ways to curtail cybercrime across borders, etc. The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), paragraph 34 defined Internet governance as “the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” Within the larger field of Internet governance, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a multi-stakeholder policy dialogue forum that was instituted by the WSIS processes and that is their only formal outcome, has fast emerged as one of the key institutions. As the definition quoted above indicates, a unique feature of the field of Internet governance is that, unlike many other governance spheres, it does not only involve governments. Historically, not only governments but also the technical community and private players have played a crucial role in the development of the Internet. In the context of the IGF, that role is not only explicitly acknowledged but also institutionalised as the IGF formally brings together governments, private players and civil society actors from all areas of and organisations involved in Internet governance. Moreover, now that the open and egalitarian potential of the Internet is increasingly under attack, this unique nature of the IGF, in addition to its WSIS roots, has made it a prime venue to remind stakeholders in all areas of Internet governance of the commitment they have made earlier to building a “people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society” (WSIS Geneva Principles, Para 1). CIS involvement in the field of Internet governance has the following shape:

New Blog Entry

Jurisdictional Issues in Cyberspace

Privacy

CIS has undertaken many new and exciting projects. One of these, "Privacy in Asia", is funded by Privacy International (PI), UK and is being completed in collaboration with Society and Action Group. "Privacy in Asia" is a two-year project that commenced on 24 March 2010 and will complete within two years from the commencement date, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. The project was set up with the objective of raising awareness, sparking civil action and promoting democratic dialogue around privacy challenges and violations in India. In furtherance of these goals it aims to draft and promote an over-arching privacy legislation in India by drawing upon legal and academic resources and consultations with the public.

Apart from "Privacy in Asia" CIS is also participating in the " Privacy and Identity" project, which is funded by the Ford Foundation and managed by the Centre for Study of Culture and Society. The project is a research inquiry into the history of Privacy in India and how it shapes the contemporary debates around technology mediated identity projects like Aadhaar. The "Privacy and Identity" project started in August 2010.

New Blog Entries

Staff Update

Prashant Iyengar is a lawyer and legal scholar who has worked extensively on intellectual property issues particularly focusing on copyright reform and open access. He is a past recipient of an Open Society Institute fellowship for research into Open Information Policy, and has been affiliated with the Alternative Law Forum – a collective of lawyers in Bangalore engaged in human rights practice.

Prashant joined the Centre for Internet and Society as a lead researcher in the Privacy India project recently.

Telecom

The growth in telecommunications in India has been impressive. While the potential for growth and returns exist, a range of issues need to be addressed for this potential to be realized. One aspect is more extensive rural coverage and the second aspect is a countrywide access to broadband which is low at about eight million subscriptions. Both require effective and efficient use of networks and resources, including spectrum. It is imperative to resolve these issues in the common interest of users and service providers. CIS campaigns to facilitate this.

Column

Shyam Ponappa is a Distinguished Fellow at CIS. He writes regularly on Telecom issues in the Business Standard and these articles are mirrored on the CIS website as well.

The policy langurs [published on 6 January 2011]

News & Media Coverage

Civic hackers seek to find their feet in India (Livemint, 24 January 2011) and (IndiaInfoline, January 2011)
A Tweet and a poke from the CEO (Livemint, 24 January 2011)
Clicktivism & a brave new world order (Mail Today, 2 January 2011)
Would it be a unique identity crisis? (Bangalore Mirror, 2 January 2011)
Nel suk dei nativi digitali. Perché gli studenti 2.0 hanno bisogno di una bussola per orientarsi (Il Sore24 ORE, 2 January 2011)
A Refreshing Start! (Verveonline, Volume 19, Issue 1, January, 2011)
Getting Connected (Livemint, January 2011)
Knowledge Warriors (Il Sore24 ORE, January 2011)
Nishant Shah Quoted in Livemint 2011 Tweet-out (Livemint, January 2011)
Digital Natives with a Cause? - Workshop in Chile seeks participants (Bahama islands info, 30 December 2010)
Mothers discuss kids, music, fashions, on Net (The Hindu, 26 December 2010)

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For more details visit https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/january-2011-bulletin

Jammu & Kashmir (Govt) Notifications

praskrishna — 2013-07-23T15:02:03Z

List of notifications published by the government of Jammu and Kashmir can be downloaded below:

The zip folder (PDF and Word) contain the following:

Reservation for Disabled/Handicapped in Government Services
The Jammu & Kashmir Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Rules, 2003
The Jammu & Kashmir Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1998

PDF
Word

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/accessibility/resources/jammu-kashmir-notifications

ITU Tutorial on Audiovisual Media Accessibility

praskrishna — 2012-06-18T10:58:29Z

At the invitation of CIS, in cooperation with the ITU-APT Foundation of India, ITU is organising a two-day Tutorial on Audio Visual Media Accessibility from March 14 to 15, 2012 at the India International Centre, New Delhi, India. The Tutorial will be preceded by the fourth meeting of the Focus Group on Audio Visual Media Accessibility (FG AVA) on March 13, 2012. This meeting will take place at the same venue and will also be hosted by CIS, in cooperation with the ITU-APT Foundation of India.

Cross-posted from the International Telecommunication Union website. Register online for the event here.

Watch the event Live

Background

Several tools will be used in the two-day tutorial, namely ITU publications relating to the field. To name two amongst the most recent ones, Accessibility to Broadcasting Services for Persons with Disabilities and Making Television Accessible" Report, G3ict-ITU, November 2011.

Objectives

The programme of the ITU Tutorial on Audiovisual Media Accessibility will provide an in-depth insight of topics and measures to improve the accessibility of AV media: Captioning (pre-prepared and live), Audio/Video Description and spoken captions, visual signing and sign language, emergency access services. These topics will reference examples from digital broadcast television and mobile telephony media. Participants will gain a better understanding of:

How to Get started - strategies for establishing and expanding new accessibility services (how it can be done, what it costs, what business models exist to ensure the viability of accessibility services);
How standards can help developing countries plan and implement the transition from analogue to digital TV (what issues need to be addressed to optimize the Digital Dividend; making sure that various groups of vulnerable viewers are not disenfranchised by the digital switchover);
Human resource development for improved usability and accessibility (closely tied to work being done by the Audiovisual Media Accessibility Focus Group’s Working Parties).

Audience

Regulators and legislators working on measures to improve digital media’s compliance with international accessibility conventions and directives; Accessibility service advocates from organizations representing persons with disabilities; Media executives from public service and commercial TV channels seeking compliance with media accessibility regulation; Pay-TV operators; Consumer electronics manufacturers; Consumer electronics wholesalers and retailers examining the business implications of demographic changes and media regulation.

Tutors

The tutors are leading experts in the field from industry and either participated in the writing of the handbook or contribute to the work of the ITU-T Focus Group on Audiovisual Media Accessibility.

Draft Programme

FG AVA Tutorial Programme - 14-15 March 2012

Day 1 - Wednesday 14 March 2012
Morning
Master of Ceremony:
Mr Sunil Abraham, Executive Director of the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS)

Welcome addresses:
Mr Ravi Shanker
Administrator
Administrator Universal Service Obligation Fund

Dr. Govind
CEO
National Internet Exchange of India

Ms. Swaran Lata
Director and Head of Department
(TDIL Programme)
Department of Information and Technology

Mr. R. N. Jha
Deputy Director General (International Relations)
Department of Telecommunications

Ms. Archana Gulati
Financial Advisor,
National Disaster Management Authority

Tutorial Programme
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Introduction to seminar - Peter Olaf LOOMS
Tutors, objectives, activities, resources.

The rationale of accessible media – who needs them? - Peter Olaf LOOMS

Who needs accessible media?
What is the nature of the media accessibility challenge in India?
Can we quantify and prioritise the challenge?

2. Introduction to media and accessibility – what are the strategies? Peter Olaf LOOMS

What can be done to improve TV accessibility?
How can an understanding of the value chain and the stakeholders help optimise media accessibility?
What can we do to make media other than TV accessible?

Afternoon

3. Making television accessible – what is in scope and out of scope? Peter Olaf LOOMS

What does the term “media” mean?
What can we do to improve TV usability?
How can we improve accessibility by offering access services?

Thursday 15 March 2012

4. Access services – the options (subtitling, audio description, visual signing, audio subtitles and speaking interfaces) Takebumi ITAGAKI and Peter Olaf LOOMS

Workflows - what does producing access services entail?
Bandwidth requirements – what does it take to encode and deliver media and access services to their intended users?
Costs – what resources are needed and what do they cost?

5. Accessibility and business models

What is a business model?
Are there business models for accessible television receivers?
What are the common business models for television access services?
Legislation, regulation and standards – how do we turn vision into reality?

Afternoon

6. Putting it all together – from vision to reality

How can we plan and execute the introduction of access services for a specific media platform
Evaluating our work over the two-day period

Formal closing of the seminar

Learning Resources

"Making Television Accessible" joint ITU and G3ict Report (in English).

Accessibility to Broadcasting Services for Persons with Disabilities ITU-R Report
Podcasts (integrated slides and audio) in English from the Danish Technical University and the IT University of Copenhagen on Agile Project Management and on Accessible Media issues.
Case work (handouts) on USB sticks.

Learning Activities

Lectures

Pair Work

Case work in groups

See the agenda on ITU website

Related Information

Documentation and Registration

General Information

Host: Centre for Internet and Society, New Delhi, India in cooperation with the ITU-APT Foundation of India

Organized by: ITU

Date: 14-15 March 2012

Venue: India International Centre,
Seminar hall no. 1, 2 and 3 main building
#40, Lodi Road, Max Mueller Marg,
Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110001.
E-mail : cbo.iic@nic.in;
Website: www.iicdelhi.nic.in
Map from airport to IIC: http://maps.google.co.in/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Practical Information (including hotel accommodation, transportation, visa and health requirements) (coming soon)

Host country contact persons:
Sunil Abraham (Executive Director)
mail: sunil@cis-india.org

Nirmita Narasimhan (Programme Manager)
mail: nirmita@cis-india.org

Ajoy Kumar (Administrator)
mail: ajoy@cis-india.org

Office details:
Centre for Internet and Society
194, 2nd C Cross,
Domlur 2nd stage,
Bengaluru: 560071
Tel: +91 80 25350955, +91 80 40926283
website: www.cis-india.org

Convening Letter, Registration and Programme

Convening Letter

On-line registration

Draft Programme (coming soon)

Organized by:

Hosted by:

VIDEO

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/accessibility/itu-tutorial-delhi

ITU Tutorial on Audiovisual Media Accessibility

praskrishna — 2012-07-03T08:53:04Z

The fourth meeting of the ITU-T Focus Group on Audio Visual Media Accessibility (FG AVA) took place at the India International Centre, New Delhi on March 13, 2012. The meeting was held in furtherance to an invitation of the Centre for Internet & Society (CIS), in cooperation with the ITU-APT Foundation of India. A two-day tutorial on Audio-Visual Media Accessibility followed the meeting on March 14 and 15, 2012 at the same venue. A total of 20 people participated in this event.

Sunil Abraham, Executive Director, CIS was the Master of Ceremony on Day 1, March 14, 2012. Mr. Ravi Shanker, Administrator, Universal Service Obligation Fund, Dr. Govind, CEO, National Internet Exchange of India, Ms. Swaran Lata, Director and Head of Department, TDIL Programme, DIT, Mr. R.N. Jha, Deputy Director General (International Relations), Department of Telecommunications and Ms. Archana Gulati, Financial Advisor, National Disaster Management Authority gave the welcome addresses. FG AVA chairman, Mr Peter Olaf Looms (European Broadcasting Union and Denmark) chaired the meeting assisted by the Working Groups coordinators.

The event provided an in-depth insight of topics and measures to improve the accessibility of AV media: Captioning (pre-prepared and live), Audio/Video Description and spoken captions, visual signing and sign language, emergency access services with examples referred from digital broadcast television and mobile telephony media. The participants gained a better understanding of:

How to Get started – that is, the strategies for establishing and expanding new accessibility services (how it can be done, what it costs, what business models exist to ensure the viability of accessibility services);
How standards can help developing countries plan and implement the transition from analogue to digital TV (what issues need to be addressed to optimize the Digital Dividend; making sure that various groups of vulnerable viewers are not disenfranchised by the digital switchover);
Human resource development for improved usability and accessibility (closely tied to work being done by the Audiovisual Media Accessibility Focus Group’s Working Parties).

Regulators and legislators working on measures to improve digital media’s compliance with international accessibility conventions and directives; accessibility service advocates from organizations representing persons with disabilities; media executives from public service and commercial TV channels seeking compliance with media accessibility regulation; consumer electronics manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers examining the business implications of demographic changes and media regulation participated in the meeting.

Peter Olaf Looms, Chairman, ITU-T, FG AVA made a presentation on Introduction to the Tutorials covering topics like what does this tutorial cover, what will I be able to do, focus on action, target groups, the rational of accessible media who needs them, what can be done to improve television accessibility, etc.

Dr. Takebumi Itagaki made a presentation on Producing and delivering access services – the options covering topics like the current situation in EU, chain of power / funding public broadcasting in EU, analogue to digital switchover, activity 9 TV standards and regulation, etc.

Mr. AK Bhatnagar, Engineer-in-Chief, Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) also participated in this event.

Click for the meeting report on ITU website.
Click for the agenda of the meeting on ITU website.
Download the list of participants here

VIDEOS

VIDEOS

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/accessibility/itu-tutorial-event-report

ITU – NTA Workshop on Making ICT and mobile phones accessible for persons with disabilities in Nepal

praskrishna — 2012-11-07T12:19:04Z

The International Telecommunication Union is organizing this event on November 9, 2012 in Nepal. Nirmita Narasimhan is participating as a speaker in the session "Introduction: ICT and telecom accessibility, good practices in policy and industry initiatives".

This was published by the ITU on November 7, 2012.

09:00	Welcome and Inauguration Master of Ceremony (MC) welcomes all
	MC requests chief guest (Hon. Minister or Secretary) to inaugurate the Diyo (Oil lamp / Light)
09:15	Opening Remarks Sameer Sharma, Senior Adviser, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
09:25	Keynote Address MoIC Secretary / Joint Secretary
09:40	Announcements Master of Ceremony thanks the Members at the Dais and walks over ot the schedule
09:40-10:00	Photo Session - Coffee Break
10:00	Making ICT Accessible for Persons with Disabilities: ITU Initiatives Sameer Sharma, Senior Adviser, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
10:30	Introduction: ICT and telecom accessibility, good practices in policy and industry initiatives Nirmita Narasimhan, ITU Expert, Accessibility
11:00	Formulating policy and project implementation for persons with disabilities Archana Gulati, ITU Expert, Universal Service Policy
11:30	Perspective, initiatives, plans and challenges in making Telecom Services accessible to Persons with Disabilities NDCL / Ncell
12:15	Policy initiatives, ground realities and way forward for making telecom services accessible to Persons with Disabilities NTA
12:30	Panel Discussion Telecom Operators, MoIC officials
13:30	Closing Remarks MoIC / NTA / ITU
13:45-14:30	Lunch break

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/itu-int-itu-d-asp-cms-events-2012-nepal-itu-nta-workshop-on-making-ict-and-mobile-phones-accessible-for-persons-with-disabilities-in-nepal

International Day of People with Disability

praskrishna — 2015-12-16T15:54:46Z

Nirmita Narasimhan was a panelist at this event organized by Capgemini in Bangalore on November 30, 2015.

The theme of the panel discussion was Accessibility. Nirmita Narasimhan was one of the guest speakers. She spoke about the work done on Accessibility at the Centre for Internet & Society.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/accessibility/news/international-day-of-people-with-disability

International Accessibility Summit of Shaastra 2017

praskrishna — 2016-12-18T02:21:22Z

The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) is partnering with IIT, Madras for a summit on international accessibility. The summit will be held at IIT in Chennai from December 31, 2016 to January 3, 2017. Nirmita Narasimhan will be the panel moderator this event.

This year’s Summit strives to bring about a change in society by addressing an issue that is taken for granted by most people: Accessibility.

Climbing stairs, listening to a lecture, reading a billboard, expressing dissent are some activities that most of us tend to perform quite effortlessly. Turning a “blind eye” to a “lame joke” is something that comes naturally to a lot of us. We crib to no end when people refuse to talk to us in a language we understand because it makes us feel like an outsider. If there is one thing that human beings hate, it is the feeling of being excluded or pitied upon, as this is a constant reminder of what one cannot do.

Accessibility is an attempt to get rid of this exclusion in various important spheres – physical environments, public spaces, the digital realm, education, employment, technology, transport. It is concerned with the removal of barriers, to set the record straight on what causes a disability: not an individual’s inability to do something but the society’s tendency to throw unnecessary obstacles. Accessibility is a spectrum - it means usability, it means removing limitations and tapping opportunities.

The International Accessibility Summit of Shaastra 2017, IIT Madras, a 4 day-long event to be held between 31st December, 2016 to 3rd January, 2017, is a platform for multiple stakeholders in the field of Accessibility and Assistive Technology to come together and share their knowledge. It is a chance for students from various fields of study to meet and ideate on how to make India truly accessible.

To know more about International Accessibility Summit, please watch the teaser.

Video

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/accessibility/events/international-accessibility-summit-shaastra-2017

Institute for Internet & Society 2014, Pune

samantha — 2014-04-07T11:31:23Z

Last month, activists, journalists, researchers, and members of civil society came together at the 2014 Institute for Internet & Society in Pune, which was hosted by CIS and funded by the Ford Foundation. The Institute was a week long, in which participants heard from speakers from various backgrounds on issues arising out of the intersection of internet and society, such as intellectual property, freedom of expression, and accessibility, to name a few. Below is an official reporting summarizing sessions that took place.

Day One

February 11, 2014

Time	Detail
9.30 a.m. – 9.40 a.m.	Introduction: Sunil Abraham, Executive Director Centre for Internet and Society
10.00 a.m. – 10.15 a.m.	Introduction of Participants
10.15 a.m. – 12.00 p.m.	Internet Governance and Privacy: Sunil Abraham
12.00 p.m. – 12.30 p.m.	Tea-break
12.30 p.m. – 1.00 p.m.	Keynote: Bishakha Datta, Filmmaker and Activist, and Board Member, Wikimedia Foundation
1.00 p.m. – 2.00 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.	Participant Presentations
3.00 p.m. – 3.15 p.m.	Tea Break
3.15 p.m. – 4.45 p.m.	Histories, Bodies and Debates around the Internet: Nishant Shah, Director-Research, CIS

This year’s Internet Institute, hosted by the Centre for Internet & Society (CIS), kicked off in Pune to put a start to a week of learnings and discussions surrounding internet usage and its implications on individuals of society. Twenty two attendees from all over India attended this year, from backgrounds of activism, journalism, research and advocacy work.

Attendees were welcomed by Dr. Ravina Aggarwal, Program Officer for Media Rights & Access at the Ford Foundation, the event’s sponsor, who started off the day by introducing the Foundation’s initiatives in pursuit of bridging the digital divide by addressing issues of internet connectivity.

Internet Governance & Privacy, Sunil Abraham
The Institute’s first session was led by Sunil Abraham, Executive Director of CIS, and engaged with issues of internet governance and privacy with reference to four stories: 1) a dispute between tweeters from the US and those in South Africa over the use of hashtag #thingsdarkiesays, which is said not to be as racially derogatory as it is in the US; 2) Facebook’s contested policies on photos featuring users breastfeeding, 3) a lawsuit between Tata and Greenpeace over the organization’s use of Tata’s logo in a video game created for public criticism of their environmentally-degrading practices, and lastly, 4) the case of Savita Bhabhi, an Indian pornographic cartoon character which had been banned by India’s High Court and which had served as a landmark case in expanding the statutory laws for what is considered to be pornographic.

Each of these stories has one major thing in common: due to their nature of taking place over the internet, they are not confined to one geographic location and in turn, are addressed at the international level. The way by which an issue as such is to be addressed cuts across State policies and internet intermediary bodies to create quite a messy case in trying to determine who is at fault. Such complexity illustrates how challenging internet governance can be within today’s society that is no longer restricted to national or geographic boundaries.

Sunil also goes on in explaining the relationship between privacy, transparency, and power, summing it up in a simple formula; privacy protection should have a reverse relationship to power—the more the power, the less the privacy one should be entitled to. On the contrary, a direct correlation goes for power and transparency—the more the power, the more transparent a body should be. Instead of thinking about these concepts as a dichotomy, Sunil suggests to see them as absolute rights in themselves—instrumental in policies and necessary to address power imbalances.

The Web We Want, Bishakha Datta
The Institute’s kickoff was also joined by Indian filmmaker and activist, Bishakha Datta, who had delivered the keynote address. Bishakha bridged together notions of freedom of speech, surveillance, and accessibility, while introducing campaigns that work to create an open and universally accessible web, such as the Web We Want and Sexuality and Disability. Bishakha stresses how the internet as a space has altered how we experience societal constructs, which can be easily exhibited in how individuals experience Facebook in the occurrence of a death, for example. Bishakha initiated discussion among participants by posing questions such as, “what is our expectation of privacy in this brave new world?” and “what is the society we want?” to encompass the need to think of privacy in a new way with the coming of the endless possibilities the internet brings with it.

Histories, Bodies and Debates around the Internet, Nishant Shah
CIS Research Director, Nishant Shah, led a session examining internet as a technology more broadly, and our understandings of it in relation to the human body. Nishant proposes the idea that history is a form of technology, as well as time, itself, for which our understanding only comes into being with the aid of technologies of measurement. Although we are inclined to separate technology from the self, Nishant challenges this notion while suggesting that technology is very integral to being human, and defines a “cyborg” as someone who is very intimate with technology. In this way, we are all cyborgs. While making reference to several literary pieces, including Haraway’s Cyborg: Human, Animus, Technology; Kevin Warwick’s Living Cyborg; and Watt’s small world theory, Nishant challenges participants’ previous notions of how one is to understand technology in relation to oneself, as well as the networks we find ourselves implicated within.

Also brought forth by Nishant, was the fact that the internet as a technology has become integral to our identities, making us accessible (rather than us solely making the technology accessible) through online forms of documentation. This digital phenomenon in which we tend to document what we know and experience as a means of legitimizing it can be summed in the modern version of an old fable: “If a tree falls in a lonely forest, and nobody tweets it, has it fallen?”

Nishant refers to several case studies in which the use of online technologies has created a sense of an extension of the self and one’s personal space; which can then be subject to violation as one can be in the physical form, and to the same emotional and psychological effect—as illustrated within the 1993 occurrence referred to as “A Rape in Cyberspace.”

Attendee Participation
Participants remained engaged and enthusiastic for the duration of the day, bringing forth their personal expertise and experiences. Several participants presented their own research initiatives, which looked at issues women face as journalists and as portrayed by the media; amateur pornography without the consent of the woman; study findings on the understandings of symptoms of internet addiction; as well as studies looking at how students engage with college confession pages on Facebook.

Day Two

February 12, 2014

Time	Detail
9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.	Wireless Technology: Ravikiran Annaswamy, CEO and Co-founder at Teritree Technologies
11.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.	Tea-break
11.15 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.	Wired Technology: Ravikiran Annaswamy
12.45 p.m. – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.	Network, Threats and Securing Yourself: Kingsley John, Independent Consultant
3.00 p.m. – 3.15 p.m.	Tea Break
3.15 p.m. – 4.45 p.m.	Practical Lab: Kingsley John
4.45 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.	Wrap-up: Sunil Abraham

Day Two of the Institute entailed a more technical orientation to “internet & society” across sessions. Participants listened to speakers introduce concepts related to wired and wireless internet connectivity devices and their networks, along with the network of internet users and how one may secure him or herself while “online.”

Wireless & Wired Technology, Ravikiran Annaswamy
Senior industry practitioner, Ravikiran Annaswamy had aimed to enable the Institute’s participants to “understand the depth and omnipresent of telecom networks” that we find ourselves implicated within. Ravikiran went through the basics of these networks—including fixed line-, mobile-, IP-, and Next Generation IP-networks—as well as the technical structuring of wired and wireless broadband. Many participants found this session to be particularly enriching as their projects aimed to provide increased access to internet connectivity to marginalized areas in India, and had been without the know-how to go about it.

Network, Threats and Securing Yourself, Kinglsey John
An instructional session on how to protect oneself was given by Kingsley John, beginning with a lesson on IP Addresses—what they are and the different generations of such, and how IP addresses fit into a broader internet network. Following, Kingsley demonstrated and explained email encryption through the use of software, Kleopatra, and how it may be used to generate keys to encrypt emails through Thunderbird mail client.

Evening Discussion

A handful of participants voluntarily partook in an evening discussion, looking at the role of big players in the global internet network, such as Google and Facebook, how they collect and utilize users’ data, and what sorts of measures can be taken to minimize the collecting of such. Due to the widely varying backgrounds of interest among participants, those coming from this technical orientation towards the internet were able to inform their peers on relevant information and types of software that may be found useful related to minimizing one’s online presence.

Day Three

February 13, 2014

Time	Detail
9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.	Free Software: Prof. G. Nagarjuna, Chairperson, Free Software Foundation
11.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.	Tea-break
11.15 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.	Open Data: Nisha Thompson, Independent Consultant
12.45 p.m. – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.	Freedom of Expression: Bhairav Acharya, Advocate and Adviser, Centre for Internet and Society
3.00 p.m. – 3.15 p.m.	Tea-break
3.15 p.m. – 4.45 p.m.	Copyright: Nehaa Chaudhari, Program Officer, Centre for Internet and Society

The third day of the Internet Institute incorporated themes presented by speakers ranging from free software, to freedom of expression, to copyright.

Free Software, Prof. G. Nagarjuna
Chairman on the Board of Directors for the Free Software Foundation of India, Professor G. Nagarjuna shared with the Institute’s participants his personal expertise on software freedom. Nagarjuna mapped for us the network of concepts related to software freedom, beginning with the origins of the copyleft movement, and also touching upon the art of hacking, the open source movement, and what role software freedom plays in an interconnected world.

Nagarjuna looks at the free software movement as a political movement in the digital space highlighting the user’s freedoms associated to the use, distribution, and modification of software for the greater good for all. This is said to distinguish this movement from that of Open Source—a technical and more practical development-oriented movement. The free software movement is not set out to compromise the fundamental issues for the sake of being practical and in that sense, ubiquitous. Instead, its objective is “not to make everybody use the software, but to have them understand why they are using the software,” so that they may become “authentic citizens that can also resonate why they’re doing what they’re doing. We want them to understand the ethical and political aspects of doing so,” Nagarjuna says.

Open Data, Nisha Thompson
Participants learned from Nisha Thompson on Open Data; what it is, its benefits, and how it is involved in central government initiatives and policy, as well as civil society groups—generally for uses such as serving as evidence for decision making and accountability. Nisha explored challenges concerning the use of open data, such as those pertaining to privacy, legitimacy, copyright, and interoperability. The group looked at the India Water Portal as a case study, which makes accessible more than 300 water-related datasets already available in the public space for use from anything from sanitation and agriculture to climate change.

Freedom of Expression, Bhairav Acharya
Bhairav Acharya, a constitutional lawyer, traced the development of the freedom of speech and expression in India. Beginning with a conceptual understanding of censorship and the practice of censorship by the state, society, and the individual herself, Bhairav examines the limits traditionally placed by a nation-state on the right to free speech.

In India, modern free speech and censorship law was first formulated by the colonial British government, which broadly imported the common law to India. However, the colonial state also yielded to the religious and communitarian sensitivities of its subjects, resulting in a continuing close link between communalism and free speech in India today. After Independence, the post-colonial Indian state carried forward Raj censorship, but tweaked it to serve to a nation-building and developmental agenda. Nation-building and nationalism are centrifugal forces that attempt to construct a homogenous 'mainstream'; voices from the margins of this mainstream (the geographical, ethnic, and religious peripheries) and of the marginalised within the mainstream (the poor and disadvantaged), are censored.

Within this narrative, Bhairav located and explained the evolution of the law relating to press censorship, defamation, obscenity, and contempt of court. Free speech law applies equally online. Broadly, censorship on the internet must survive the same constitutional scrutiny that is applied to offline censorship; but, as technology develops, the law must innovate.

Copyright, Nehaa Chaudhari
CIS Programme Officer, Nehaa Chaudhari examined the concept of Copyright as an intellectual property right in discussing its fundamentals, purpose and origins, and Copyright’s intersection with the internet. Nehaa also explained the different exceptions to Copyright, along with its alternatives, such as opposing intellectual property protection regimes, including the Creative Commons and Copyleft. Within this session, Nehaa also introduced several cases in which Copyright came into play with the use of the internet, including Hunter Moore’s “Is Anyone Up?” website, which had showcased pornographic pictures obtained by submission bringing rise to the phenomenon of “revenge porn.” Instances as such blur the lines of what is commonly referred to as intellectual property, and what specific requirements enables one to own the rights to such.

Day Four

February 14, 2014

Time	Detail
9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.	E-Accessibility and Inclusion: Prashant Naik, Union Bank
11.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.	Tea-break
11.15 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.	Patents: Nehaa Chaudhari
12.45 p.m. – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 p.m. – 2.00 p.m.	Fieldwork Assignment

Day Four of the Internet Institute introduced concepts of eAccessibilty and Inclusion on the internet for persons with disabilities, along with patents as an intellectual property right. Participants were also assigned a fieldwork exercise as a hands-on activity in which they were to employ what they’ve learned to initiate conversation with individuals in public spaces and collect primary data while doing so.

eAccessibility and Inclusion, Prashant Naik

Prashant Naik started off the day with his session on E-Accessibility and Inclusion. Prashant illustrated the importance of accessibility and what is meant by the term. Participants learned of assistive technologies for different disability types and how to create more accessible word and PDF documents, as well as web pages for users. Prashant demonstrated to participants what it is like to use a computer as a visually impaired individual, which provided for an enriching experience.

Patents, Nehaa Chaudhari
Nehaa Chaudhari led a second session at the Internet Institute on intellectual property rights—this one looking at patents particularly and their role within statutory law. Nehaa traced the historical origins of patents before examining the fundamentals of them, and addresses the questions, “Why have patents? And is the present system working for everyone?” Nehaa also introduced notions of the Commons along with the Anticommons, and perspectives within the debate around software patents, as well as different means by which the law can address the exploitation of patents or “patent thickets”—such as through patent pools or compulsory licensing.

Fieldwork Assignment, Groupwork
Participants were split into groups and required to carry out a mini fieldwork assignment in approaching individuals in varying public spaces in Pune in attempts to collect primary data. Questions asked to individuals were to be devised by the group, so long as they pertained to themes examined within the Internet Institute. Areas visited by groups included the Pune Central Mall, MG Road, and FC Road.

Day Five

February 15, 2014

Time	Detail
9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.	E-Governance: Manu Srivastav, Vice President, eGovernments Foundation
11.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.	Tea-break
11.15 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.	Market Concerns: Payal Malik, Economic Adviser, Competition Commission of India
12.45 p.m. – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.	Digital Natives: Nishant Shah
3.00 p.m. – 3.15 p.m.	Tea-break
3.15 p.m. – 4.45 p.m.	Fieldwork Presentations

Day Five of the Internet Institute brought with it sessions related to themes of e-governance, market concerns of telecommunications, and so called “Digital Natives.”

eGovernance, Manu Srivastava
Vice President of the eGovernments Foundation, Manu Srivastava led a session on eGovernance—the utilization of the internet as a means of delivering government services communicating with citizens, businesses, and members of government. Manu examined the complexities of the eGovernance and barriers to implementation of eGovernance initiatives. Within discussion, participants examined the nuanced relationship between the government and citizens with the incorporation of other governing bodies in an eGovernance system, as well as new spaces for corruption to take place.

Market Concerns, Payal Malik
Payal Malik, Advisor of the Economics Division of the Competition Commission of India shared her knowledge on market concerns of the telecommunications industry, and exclaimed the importance of competition issues in such an industry as a tool to create greater good for a greater number of people. She demonstrated this importance by stating that affordability as a product of increased access can only be possible once there is enough investment, which generally only happens in a competitive market. In this way, we must set the conditions to make competition possible, as a tool to achieve certain objectives. Payal also demonstrated the economic benefits of telecommunications by stating that for every 10% increase in broadband penetration, increase in GDP of 1.3%. She also examined the broadband ecosystem in India and touched upon future possibilities of increased broadband penetration, such as for formers and the education sector.

Digital Natives, Nishant Shah
Nishant Shah shed some light on one of the areas that the Centre for Internet & Society looks at within their research scope, this being the “Digital Native.” As referred to by Nishant, the Digital Native is not to categorize a specific type of internet user, but can be said for simply any person who is performing a digital action, while doing away with this false dichotomy of age, location, and geography.

Nishant examines varying case studies in which “the digital is empowering natives to not merely be benefactors of change, but agents of change,” from the Blank Noise Project’s “I NEVER Ask for it…” campaign in efforts to rethink sexual violence, to Matt Harding’s foolish dancing with groups of individuals from all over the world.

As occurrences in the digital realm, however, these often political expressions may be rewritten by the network when picked up as a growing phenomenon, in order to make it accessible to online consumers by the masses. In doing so, the expression is removed from its political context and is presented in the form of nothing more than a fad. For this reason, Nishant stresses the need to become aware of the potential of the internet in becoming an “echo-chamber”—in which forms of expression are amplified and mimicked, resulting in a restructuring of the dynamics surrounding the subject—whether it be videos of boys lipsyncing to Backstreet Boys in their dorm room going viral, or a strong and malicious movement to punish the Chinese girl who had taken a video of her heinously and wickedly killing a kitten after locating her using the Human Flesh Search Engine.

Fieldwork Presentations, Groupwork

To end off the day, participant groups presented findings collated from the prior evening’s fieldwork exercise, in which they were to ask strangers in various public places of Pune questions pertaining to themes looked at from within this year’s Institute. Participants were divided into four groups and visited Pune’s FC Road, Mahatma Gandhi Road, and Central Mall.

Groups found that the majority of those interviews primarily accessed the phone via the mobile. There was also a common weariness of using the internet and concern for one’s privacy while doing so, especially with uploading photos to Facebook and online financial transactions. People were also generally concerned about using cyber cafes for fear of one’s accounts being hacked. Generally people suspected that so long as conversations are “private” (i.e. in one’s Facebook inbox), so too are they secure. Just as well, those interviewed shared a sense of security with the use of a password.

Day Six

February 16, 2014

Time	Detail
9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.	Wikipedia: Dr. Abhijeet Safai
11.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.	Tea-break
11.15 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.	Open Access: Muthu Madhan (TBC)
12.45 p.m. – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.	Case Studies Groupwork
3.00 p.m. – 3.15 p.m.	Tea-break
3.15 p.m. – 4.45 p.m.	Case Studies Presentations

As the Institute came closer to its end, participants got the opportunity to hear from speakers on topics pertaining the Wikipedia editing in addition to Open Access to scholarly literature. Participants also worked together in groups to examine specific case studies referenced in previous sessions, and then presented their conclusions.

Wikipedia, Dr. Abhijeet Safai
The Institute was joined by Medical Officer of Clinical Research at Pune’s Symbiosis Centre of Health Care, Dr. Abhijeet Safai, who led a session on Wikipedia. Having edited over 3700 Wikipedia articles, Dr. Abhijeet was able to bring forth his expertise and familiarity in editing Wikipedia to participants so that they would be able to do the same. Introduced within this session were Wikipedia’s different fundamental pillars and codes of conducts to be complied with by all contributors, along with different features and components of Wikipedia articles that one should be aware of when contributing, such as how to cite sources and discuss the contents of an article with other contributors.

Open Access, Muthu Madhan
Muthu Madhan joined the Internet Institute while speaking on Open Access (OA) to scholarly literature. Within his session, Muthu examined the historical context within which the scholarly journal had arisen and how the idea of Open Access began within this space. The presence of Open Access in India and other developing nations was also examined in this session, and the concept of Open Data, introduced.

Case Studies, Groupworks

Participants were split up into groups and assigned particular case studies looked at briefly in previous sessions. Case studies included #thingsdarkiessay, a once trending Twitter hashtag in South Africa which had offended many Americans for its use of “darkie” as a derogatory term; the literary novel, The Hindus, which offers an alternative narrative of Hindu history had been banned in India for obscenity; a case in which several users’ avatars had been controlled by another in a virtual community and forced to perform sexual acts, referred to as A Rape Happened in Cyber Space; and lastly, a pornographic submission website, Is Anyone Up?, for which content was largely derived from “revenge porn.” Each group then presented on the various perspectives surrounding the issue at hand.

The Cyborg, Nishant Shah
Nishant Shah led an off-agenda session in the evening looking more closely at the notion of the human cyborg. Nishant deconstructs humanity’s relationship to technology, in suggesting that we “think of the human as produced with the technologies… not who produces technology.” Nishant explores the Digital Native as an attained identity for those who, because of technology, restructure and reinvent his or her environment—offline as well as online. Among other ideas shared, Nishant refers to works by Haraway on the human cyborg in illustrating our dependency on technology and our need to care for these technologies we depend on.

Day Seven

February 17, 2014

Time	Detail
9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.	Internet Activism: Laura Stein, Associate Professor, University of Texas and Fulbright Fellow
11.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.	Tea-break
11.15 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.	Domestic and International Bodies: Chinmayi Arun, Research Director
12.45 p.m. – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.	Participant Presentations
3.00 p.m. – 3.15 p.m.	Tea-break
3.15 p.m. – 4.45 p.m.	Hot Question Challenge

The last day of the week-long Internet Institute examined concepts of Internet Activism and Domestic and International Bodies. Some participants led presentations on topics of personal familiarity, before a final wrap-up exercise, calling upon individuals to share any new formulations resulting from the Institute.

Internet Activism, Laura Stein

Associate Professor from the University of Texas, Laura Stein, spoke on activism on the internet. Laura examined some grassroots organizations and movements taking place on the online and the benefits that the internet brings in facilitating their impact, such as its associated low costs, accessibility and possibility for anonymity. Despite the positive effects catalyzed by the internet, Laura stresses that the “laying field is still unequal, and movements are not simply transformed by technology.” Some of the websites exemplifying online activism that were examined within this session includes the It Gets Better Project, which aims to give hope to LGBT youth facing harassment, and the national election watch by the Association for Democratic Reforms. Additionally, Laura spoke on public communication policy, comparing that of the US and India, and how this area of policy may influence media content and practice.

Domestic and International Bodies, Chinmayi Arun
As the Internet Institute’s final speaker, Research Director for Communication Governance at National Law University , Chinmayi Arun, explores the network of factors that affect one’s behavior on the internet—these including: social norms, the law, the markets, and architecture. In referring to Lawrence Lessig’s pathetic dot theory, Chinmayi illustrates how individual’s—the pathetic dots in question—are functions of the interactions of these factors, and in this sense, regulated, and stresses the essential need to understand the system, in order to effectively change the dynamics within it. It is worth noting that not all pathetic dots are equal, and Google’s dot, for example, will be drastically bigger than a single user’s, having more leveraging power within the network of internet bodies. Also demonstrated, is the fact that we must acknowledge the need for regulation by the law to some extent, otherwise, the internet would be a black box where anything goes, putting one’s security at risk of violation.

Hot Question Challenge
The very last exercise of the Institute entailed participants asking each other questions on demand, relating back to different themes looked at within the last week. Participants had the chance, here, to bridge together concepts across sessions, as well as formulate their own opinions, while posing questions to others that they, themselves, were still curious about.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/institute-for-internet-society-2014-pune

Inputs for NTP 2011

praskrishna — 2012-01-02T05:07:57Z

The Centre for Internet and Society wishes to commend the DoT on the draft of the New Telecom Policy and offers its suggestions to improve the draft with specific changes.

The new draft contains several noteworthy initiatives and goals such as Delicensing additional frequency bands for public use, Network sharing, spectrum sharing, pooling and trading , recognizing that revenue generation is not the primary reason for licensing spectrum and that auctions often result in inordinate delays, identifying the mobile phone as a primary instrument for development and inclusion, Convergence of broadcast, telecom and cable infrastructure, promotion of cloud based technologies, Nationwide license, free roaming and one number, promotion of fixed mobile convergence to free up spectrum, promoting consumer interests by increasing choice and quality and addressing concerns of privacy, data security, etc and placing emphasis on research and development, awareness raising and capacity building.

We offer below suggestions to improve the draft with specific changes marked in bold print.

Spectrum Management

We endorse the approach to permit spectrum ‘pooling, sharing and later, trading for optimal and efficient utilization of spectrum’ as described in 4.1. In this regard, we would like to suggest that the Government may consider mandatory spectrum sharing as is being done in USA with respect to white spaces and digital dividends as a better approach over licensing spectrum to a single operator and allowing voluntary sharing since it could result in more dynamic and efficient use of spectrum with access being authorized as per requirement from a central data base driven system.

De-licensing additional spectrum

We agree with the approach to prioritise identification of additional frequency bands for license exempt use for the operation of low power devices, as stated in section 4.6 of the National Telecom Policy 2011. We also support the promotion of the use of technology such as Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and Cognitive Radios (CRs) in white spaces, as mention in section 4.9 of the NTP. These developments in the Indian Telecom policy show promise for the deployment and spread of affordable technologies operating in de-licensed frequencies, which will contribute to the bridging of the digital divide present in India. We offer certain recommendations in this regard:

WPC should have more unlicensed bands available for internet and multimedia to fuelinnovation and efficient spectrum utilization. Unlicensed bands need to be allocated inbigger chunks in various slots.
Frequencies in the 5.15GHz-5.35GHz bands, as well as 5.725-5.825GHz bands are delicensedfor indoor use only. These bands should be de-licensed for outdoor use as well in order to facilitate the creation of wider wireless communication networks and the use ofinnovative technologies.
Bands for the use of DECT technologies have already been de-licensed in Europe and theUnited states. The1800-1890MHz band, which is earmarked for the operations of DECT based devices in India, should be de-licensed for the use of low power cordless communication technologies in line with international practices.
The 433-434 Mhz band should be unlicensed for data telemetry as it is done in many other countries.
Unutilized slots in between TV channels (white spaces) should be made available for unlicensed/Class license usage.

Licensing, Convergence and Value Added Services

With respect to allowing the sharing of network mentioned in 3.6, we would like to propose a similar model as suggested for spectrum sharing, which is more along the lines of Singapore or Australia’s NGN, with the network(s) being run by public private partnership (PPP) consortiums, but led by a private operator.

Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities

Persons with disabilities should be mentioned specifically within the policy and steps should be taken to enable access to telecommunications facilities for them. These would include steps like formulating a Code of good practice for manufacturers and service providers, identifying accessibility standards in different areas, investing in R&D in accessible technologies, setting up a nationwide emergency and relay service, mandating broadcast accessibility to ensure that set-top boxes are accessible and that at least 50 per cent of all TV programmes are captioned, carrying out regular surveys to gather statistics on use of telecommunications services by persons with disabilities, etc.

Specific recommendations

Mission

(To be modified to read as)

1. To develop a robust, secure state-of-the-art telecommunication network providing seamless coverage with special focus on rural and remote areas and bridging digital divide amongst disadvantaged persons, including persons with disabilities.

Objectives

(To be modified to read as)

28. Protect consumer interest by promoting informed consent, transparency, accountability and accessibility in quality of service, tariff, usage etc. 36. Put in place an accessible web based, real time e-governance solution to support online submission of applications for all services of DoT and issuance of licences and clearances from DoT.

Universal Service Obligation Fund

To include ‘Persons with Disabilities, elderly and illiterate persons’ specifically as a category of beneficiaries within the charter of the fund. Telecom infrastructure/ row issues, green telecom, clear skyline,
(Point to be modified to read as)
5.13. To prescribe sectoral Standard Operating Procedures for effective and early mitigation during disasters and emergencies. To mandate Telecom Service Providers to provide alternative accessible reliable means of communication at the time of disaster by creating appropriate regulatory framework. 5.15. To facilitate an institutional framework to establish nationwide Unified Emergency Response Mechanism by providing nationwide single access number for emergency services and to ensure that the same are also accessible to persons with disabilities.

Broadband and universal service

Given that the uptake of broadband has been rather slow in comparison with mobile phones, a useful step to scaling up broadband penetration and providing ubiquitous broadband services could be to identify broadband as an ‘essential service’ under the Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1981. This could be recognized as an objective in the policy and will help to ensure provision of affordable and reliable provision of broadband.

Specific recommendation

(Point to be modified to read as)

3. Recognize broadband as an ‘essential service’ under the Essential Services Maintenance Act and provide affordable and reliable broadband on demand by the year 2015 and to achieve 175 million broadband connections by the year 2017 and 600 million by the year 2020 at minimum 2 Mbps download speed as well as making available higher speeds of at least 100 Mbps on demand.

Multi stakeholder approach

All activities such as setting up a council under 2.3, advisory groups in 2.4, 2.10, etc should necessarily include participation from civil society to ensure a balanced representation of the public interest perspective.

Specific recommendations

(Points to be modified to read as)

2.3. To set up a council consisting of experts from Telecom Service Providers, Telecom Manufacturing Industry, Government, civil society,

Academia and R&D institutions.

2.4. To promote synergy of academia, R&D centres, manufacturers, service providers, civil society, consumer groups and other stakeholders for achieving collaboration and reorientation of their efforts for creation of IPRs, development and deployment of new products and services suited to Indian environment.

Implementation and monitoring

While the policy identifies several laudable objectives and initiatives, there is little indication as to time lines and mechanisms for enforcement with measurable indicators. It would be useful to clearly specify these to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the policy.

Protection of consumer interests

Any initiatives taken in this regard, such as formulation of a Code etc, must necessarily involve consumers. The policy also needs to recognize that special effort is required to ensure that information is made available to consumers and more steps are taken towards consumer outreach. This also includes making web sites more user friendly and accessible to consumers. At present even the web sites of the DoT, USOF, and TRAI etc are extremely inaccessible.

Regulation

While it is important to create a conducive regulatory framework for India’s development agenda, we would nevertheless like to caution against over regulation, especially in cases where market forces themselves take care of the situation. It is best to have a light handed approach based on need. It is also suggested that a review of the TRAI act as proposed under 12.1 could result in vesting the sector regulator with greater autonomy and independence.

Specific recommendation

(Point to be modified to read as)
12.1. To review the TRAI Act with a view to addressing regulatory inadequacies/impediments in effective discharge of its functions and strengthening it by increasing its autonomy.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/telecom/inputs-ntp-2011

Information about Schemes for Disabled Persons in Haryana

praskrishna — 2013-03-14T05:47:25Z

Find below copies of the notifications received from the Government of Haryana regarding schemes and policies for persons with disabilities.

HARYANA GOVERNMENT

SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HARYANA

No. GA.I SW. 71, Dated, Chandigarh

The Governor of Haryana is pleased to make the following rules for the administration of the two blind institutions; namely (i) Government Institute for the Blind, Panipat and (ii) Training Centre for the Adult Blind Sonipat . These rules shall come into operation with immediate effect.
The aim of these rules is to regulate the administration of the blind institutions referred above in order to provide maintenance, education and training to such of the blind children and adults who do not have adequate mans for the maintenance, Education or training so as to enable them to become self sufficient, The sanctioned capacity of each Home shall be 100 or such other number as may be fixed by Government from time to time.
(i) The following categories of persons shall be eligible for admission to these institutions:-
(a)   Blind children of the age group of 6-18 in the Government Institute for the Blind, Panipat, and
(b)   Adult blinds of the age group of 16-40 years in the Training Centre for the Adult Blind, at Sonepat.
Provided that the monthly income of parents of such boys/adults do not exceed RS. 500/- p.m where the income of a parents/guardian exceeds the prescribed limit, admission shall be allowed if the parents/guardians fare willing to pay maintenance charges of the boys at the rate of RS. 30/- p.m.
(ii)   Admission to these institutions shall be open to the persons belonging to the State of Haryana or those who have domiciled and have resided in the State for the past six months or over.
Application for admission to these Homes shall be submitted in form Annexure A’ by the father or guardian of the intending applicant which shall be accompanied with the following documents, to the Deputy Commissioners or S.D.O (Civil) or Tehsildars concerned. The requisite application from shall be obtainable fee of charge from any of the aforementioned authorities or the office of the Director, Social Welfare Haryana, Chandigarh.
(i)   A certificate from a Government Doctor stating that the applicant is blind within the meaning of the following definitions;
(ii)   Total absence of sight;
(iii)   Visual equity not exceeding 3/60 or 10/200 (Snellen) in the better eye with correcting lenses.
It shall be the responsibility of the Authorities mentioned in par 4 above to carry out detailed enquiries into the financial position of each applicant and into other particulars given in the application form. These authorities shall forward the application with their detailed recommendations to the Director, Social Welfare. The application received in the Social Welfare Directorate shall be registered.
The Director Social Welfare shall be the authority competent to Sanction or reject the request for admission on the basis of the recommendations made by the local officers mentioned in para 4 above or such other authority as the sanctioning authority may consider appropriate. Decision of the Director, Social Welfare shall be final.
The persons admitted into the Government institutions for Blind, Panipat shall be eligible for maintenance up to the age of 16 years or till they complete their education upto middle standard, which ever is earlier, while those admitted into the Training Centre for the Adult Blind, Sonepat shall eligible for maintenance/training for a period of 2 years form the date of their admission. Extension in the period of maintenance in the Tanning centre for the Adult Blind beyond the limit of 52 years shall be allowed six months by the Director, Social Welfare.
All those who are allowed admission to these Homes shall be provided with free food, care, education or training. Medical aid and other facilities as are essentially required. The maintenance chares which are presently Rs. 22.50 per menses per head can be reduced or increased according to prevailing conditions.
The amount of maintenance charges from the inmates whose parents/Guardians have a monthly income exceeding Rs. 500/- p.m. shall be recoverable as in Rule 3 above, each month is advance and the amount thus realized shall be credited into Government Treasury under the appropriate receipt head of account.
The inmates of the Government Institute for the Blind, Panipat, who after passing their Middle Standard Examination want to continue their studies in other local schools functioning in the State, will be granted a monthly scholarship of Rs. 70/ p.m. per head, to cover their educational, boarding and lodging expenses etc till they complete their education upto metric or Higher Secondary Part II, provided a student is below the age of 24 years.
The Director, Social Welfare, Haryana will be the authority competent to sanction or reject the request for scholarship . Decisions of the Director, Social Welfare, Haryana shall be final.
A scholarship shall normally be cancelled if the scholar fails to pass in an annual examination of if his/her progress continues to be unsatisfactory for a periods of one year in spite warning.
In the case of renewal of scholarship of the succeeding year, scholarship will be paid from the months following that for which the scholarship was paid during the previous academic year.
The scholarship will be available form the date of admission up to the months of annual final examination for the first academic year.
These rules have been framed in consultation with the Finance Department vide the U.O advice No. ____________________________________ dated__________________________.

Sd/-
Secretary to Government, Haryana. Social Welfare Department.

DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE,
HARYANA, NOTIFICATION

No. 1971 /DDSW-GA-II/71 The Governor of Haryana is pleased make the following rules namely “Scholarships to the physically handicapped” which will come into force wit effect from Ist April, 1968. These rules are incorporating the amendments made from time to time and shall be applicable throughout the State of Haryana.

DEFINITIONS

The blind are those who suffer from the following conditions:-

The Blind

a) Total absence of sight.

b) Visual acuity not exceeding 3/60 to 10/200 (Sheller ) in the better eye with correcting.

The Deaf

The deaf are those in whom the sense of hearing is on functional for the ordinary purpose in life.

The Orthopaedically Handicapped

The orthopaedically handicapped are those who have a physical defect or deformity which cause an interference with the normal functioning of the bones, muscles and joints.

2. AIMS AND OBJECTS

The main purpose of these scholarships is to assist physically handicapped persons to secure such edu.cation, technical or professional training as would enable them to earn a living and become useful member or Society.

3. SUBJECT OF SCHOLARSHIPS

a) The Blind students upto the age of 20 years shall be eligible for scholarships for general education upto Metric/Higher Secondary.
b) The deaf. The Dear students upto the age of 20 years shall be eligible for scholarships for general education upto Metric/Higher Secondary.
c) The Orthopaedically Handicapped. The Orthopaedically Handicapped students upto the age of 20 years shall be eligible for scholarships upto Matric/ Higher Secondary stage. For further education the stipends are granted by the Government of India, Department of Social Welfare. The rate of Scholarships will be as under:-

4. Rate of Scholarships pear month.

Category of

1.8.72
Handicapped

Existing rates
Upto From High/ Pri- 5^th to Higher marry Middle Secondary
(From standard Ist to 4^th Class)

Revised rates w.e.f
Upto from High/ Primary 5^th Higher (From Middle Secondary Ist to Stand Classes. 4^th Class.)

i) Deaf & Dumb	Rs.35/-	Rs. 40/-	Rs. 45	40/-	45/-	50/-
ii) Orthopaedically handicapped	Rs.35/-	Rs. 40/-	Rs. 50/-	40/-	45/-	50/-
iii) Blind	Rs. 35/-	Rs. 50/-	Rs.70/-	45/-	55/-	75/-

Note:- There is no school for deaf & Dumb in Haryana State, the scholarships shall be paid to such students who shall received education in the schools/ institutions outside the Haryana State.

5. CONDITIONS.

A)      The candidate applying for scholarships under this scheme shall be resident of Haryana State and shall be blind, dear or orthopaedically handicapped as defined in rule I.
B)   Scholars selected for a scholarship under this scheme shall not be on receipt of assistance from any other Voluntary or State / Central source either in cash or by way of free board or lodging. Exemptions from fees shall not, however, be taking into account. Before the amount of scholarships is actually released, the father/guardians will have to be furnished a certificate in the prescribed form (Appendix A) duly attested by Gazetted Officer in the State or Central Government or by a first Class Magistrate.
C)   Scholarships under this scheme shall be tenable to any educational institutions recognized or approved by the State Governments or affiliated to a University. No scholarship under this scheme shall be awarded for study outside the State.
D) The Government will have the power to relax the conditions of grant of scholarships where it considers that a particular rule operates harshly upon a student in any way.

6. APPLICATIONS.

A) Applications shall be invited by the Director, Social Welfare Haryana, through announcements in the press. All applications should be made in the prescribed form (Appendix) B( ) and should reach the Director, Social Welfare, Haryana, by the date prescribed.
B) Preference shall be given to candidate who are already studying in recognised education institutions. The applications should be forwarded through the Heads of the Institutions in which the candidate is studying.

7. DOCUMENTS TO ACCOMPANY EACH APPLICATION
Every application shall be accompanied by the following documents.

a) MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.
A certificate that he applicant is blind, deaf or orthopaedically handicapped within the manning of the definition given in the rules from a registered medical practioner. If an applicant is selected, he shall be required to produce a Medical Certificate ( Appendix C-I, C-II, C-III) from a Government or private eye specialist, E.N.T. Specialist or orthopaedic surgeon as the case may be.

b) INCOME CERTIFICATE
A certificate in from Appendix upto from a Revenue officer not below the rank of Naib Tehsildar or any other officer of equivalent status, or an affidavit attested by first Class Magistrate or a certificate from a Gazetted Officer indicating the monthly income of both the parents or guardians of the scholar. The rate of scholarship from the various income groups is under:-

Income of both parents /guardians	Rate of scholarship
Upto Rs. 500/- P.M.	Full Rate
Between Rs. 501/- to 750/- P.M.	Two third rate (2/3)
Between Rs. 751/- to Rs. 1,000/-	Half Rate (1/2)

No. scholarship shall be paid to a candidate in case the monthly combined monthly income of this/ her parents/ guardians exceeds Rs. 1,000/

c ) EVIDENCE OF AGE

Any of the following shall be accepted as an evidence of age.

CERTIFICATE FROM

I) The Head of the educational institution last attended.

II) a gazetted officer.

III) a member of the State legislature, or

IV) an affidavit attested by a First Calls Magistrate.

Note:- At the time of applying for the grant of scholarship for the first time the Medical Certificate will be required and thereafter no Medical Certificate will be required for the subsequent years.

8. AWARDS
A) All application shall be considered by the Social Welfare Directorate. The orders of the Director, Social Welfare, regarding the grant of scholarships or rejection or suspension, through final, shall be subject to appeal to the Government.
B) Every selected scholar shall be informed of the duration for which he has been awarded a scholarship. The scholarships shall normally be available for the completion of Matric/ Higher Secondary Education subject to the availability of funds and to the scholars satisfactory conduct and progress.

9. PAYMENT
The Scholarship will be available from the month of admission upto the month of annual /final examination for the first academic year.

PROVIDED THAT:-

I) If a scholar joins an institution on or before the 20^th day of a month full scholarship money will be paid to him/ her for that month. But if he/ she joins the institution after the 20^th day of the month, no scholarship money will be paid to him/ her for that month.
II) In the case of renewal of scholarship for the succeeding year scholarship will be paid from the month following that for which the scholarships was paid during the Previous academic year.
III) The Head of the Institution shall obtain from the scholarship stamped receipt (Appendix Age) in duplicate in taken of having received the amount and shall forward a copy thereof to the Director, Social Welfare, Haryana, Chandigarh by the 10^th of each month for record.
IV) In case of misutilisation of any grant, Government shall reserve the right or recovering the same.

10. LEAVE DUE TO ILINESS.
a) For continue absence for a periods not exceeding three months. the scholarships shall be paid in full provided the request for leave is supported by a certificate from a registered medical practitioner.

11. PROGRESS REPORT
a) The Head of the Institution shall forward to the Director, Social Welfare, Haryana, Chandigarh, separately in respect of every scholar in his/her charge a quarterly progress report in the form given in Appendix age.
b) If the progress of a scholar is not satisfactory it shallow, be responsibility of the Head of the Institution where the scholar is studying to issue monthly warnings to him/ her to the effect that unless the scholar improve is/ her scholarship shall be cancelled.

12. RENEWAL AND CANCELLATIONS
a) A scholarship shall normally be cancelled if the scholar fails to pass in an annual examination of if his/ her progress continues to be unsatisfactory for a period of one year inspire warnings.
b) It shall be discretion of the Director, Social Welfare, Haryana, to renew the scholarship for such period as he considers fit if it is found that the failure of a scholar or his/ her unsatisfactory progress was due to circumstances beyond, his/ her control. Such renewals shall normally be made on the advice or the Head or the Institutions where the scholar is studying.

13. GENERAL
The State Government reserve the right to amount these rules without notice.

Sd/-
Secretary to Government, Haryana
Social Welfare Deptt.

The Financial Commissioner, & Secretary to Govt. Haryana, Social welfare Department.

The Director,
Social Defence & Security Department,
Haryana, Chandigarh.

No. 992 SW-(3)/93
Chandigarh, dated the 13/5/93

Subject:- Grant of scholarship under state sector- Amendments therein.

In continuation of Haryana Govt. Social Welfare Deptt. Sanction order No. 3924- SW-(I)-85 dated 25.10.85 on the subject.

Sanction of Governor of Haryana is hereby accorded to amend the rules and income criteria under the scheme scholarship to physically handicapped students under state sector who are receiving education in various Govt. / recognised educational institutions in the state under subject to the condition that the expenditure involved would be met from the savings of the department :-

Rule-I:- Definitions The blind are those who suffer from the flowing.

The Blind conditions:

a) Total absence of sight.

b) Visual acuity not exceeding 3/60 to 10/200 (Snallen in the better eye with correcting lenses.

The Deaf: The deaf are those whom the sense of hearing is non functional for the ordinary purpose in life.

Orthopaedically The orthopaedically handicapped are those who handicapped. have physical defect or deformity which cause an interference with the normal functioning of bones, musicales and joints.

(Scholars having disability less than 40% will not be awarded scholarship.

Rule-6(i) Rule-6 may be under as rule 6(i)

Rule (ii) Corse of studying:

a) The education from Ist class to Middle standard is divided into tow study courses i.e. from Ist Primary class to Vth class VIth to class VIIIth (Primary and Middle courses respectively)

b) The students will apply only once in a particular course of study for scholarship n particular class and will continue to receive scholarship on the basis of the annual Progress Report till the completion of the particular course of study. He/she will have to the particular course of study. He/ she will have to apply afresh only on the change of course of study i.e. in 6^th class (Middle course of study).

Rule-7: Documents to accompany each application.
Evert application shall be accompanied by the following documents at the start of the particular course of study i.e. from Ist class and VIth class.

b) A certificate in form (Appendix-D) from a Revenue officer not below the rank of Naib Tehsildar or any other officer of equivalent status, or an affidavit attested by a Ist class Magistrate or a certificate from a Gazetted officer indicating the monthly income of both the parents or the Guardians of the scholar. The rate or the Guardians of the scholar. The rate of scholarship for the various income groups is as under:-

Sr. No.	Income of both the parents	Rate of scholarship per month.
1	Income upto Rs. 4000/- P.M.	Full rate
2	Income above Rs. 4000/- P.M.	No scholarship will be awarded.

No scholarship will be awarded to a candidate in case of monthly combined income of his/ her parents/ guardians exceeds Rs. 4000/- per month.

Rule 11. Progress Report

a) The Head of the Institution shall forward to the Director, Social Defence & Security, Haryana, Chandigarh Separately in the succeeding year of the course of study i.e. 2^nd,3^rd, 4^th and 5^th year of the primary course of study ad in VII and VIII the year of the Middle course of study in respect of every scholar in his/ her Annual Progress Report of every scholar in his/ her Annual Progress Report in the form given in appendix- F (Revised Performa attached.

3. The expenditure involve would be debatable out of the following head of accounts:

i) “2235- Social Security & Welfare -02- Social Welfare- Part-I-State Pla Scheme-101- Welfare of Handicapped Social Defence & Security Directorate-(i) – Scholarship to physically handicapped students – scholarships.”

ii) “2235-Social Security & welfae-02- Social Welfare- 101- Welfare of handicapped – Social Defence & Security Directorate-(v) – Scholarships to physically handicapped students scholarship-Non-Plan.”

This issues with the concurrence of Finance Department conveyed vide their U.O. No. 1/122/85-FG/2841 dated 18.12.92.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary, for Financial Commissioner & Secy. to Govt.Haryana, Social Welfare Department.

Endst. No. 992/SW/-(I)- 97, Chandigarh the 13/5/93

A copy as above is forwarded for information and necessary action to the:-

Accountant General ( A&E) , Haryana, Chandigarh.
Accountant General (Audit), Haryana, Chandigarh.
All District Social Welfare Officers in the State.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary, for Financial Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana, Social Welfare Department.

From

The commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana.
Social Welfare Department.

The Director,
Social Defence & Security Department,
Haryana, Chandigarh.

Memo No. 1508 SW/Dated, Chandigarh the 1-8-94

Subject:- Grant of Scholarship under State Sector- Amendments there of.

In continuation of Haryana Govt. Social Welfare Deptt. sanction order NO. 992-SW(i)/93, dated 13.5.93 on the subject.

Sanction of the Governor of Haryana is hereby accorded to amend the Rules under the Scheme “ Scholarships to Physically Handicapped Students under State Sector who are receiving education in various Govt. / recognized Educational Institutions in the State, as under, subject to the condition that he expenditure involved would be met from the savings of the Department:-

Rules -9 payment

The scholarship will be available to each students from the month of April to the month of March i.e. for full academic years, subject to the condition that fee is paid for full academic year.

provided that

(i) & (ii) deleted.

(iii) The head of the Institution shall obtain from the scholar stamped receipt ( Appendix ‘E’) in duplicate in taken of having received the amount and shall forward a copy there of to the District Social Welfare officer of the respective district by the 10^th of the next month, for record.

(iv) No Change.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary, for Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana
Social Welfare Department.

Endst. NO. Dated, Chandigarh the

A copy is forwarded to the following for information and necessary action:-

1. Accountant General ( A&E) Audit) Haryana, Chandigarh.

2. All District Social Welfare officer in the Haryana.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary,

for Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana

Social Welfare Department.

TO BE SUBSTITUTED BEARING SAME NO. & DATE.

From

The Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana.
Social Welfare Department.

The Director,
Social Defence & Security Department,
Haryana, Chandigarh.

Memo NO. 758-SW(1) 95
Dated, Chandigarh, 31-3-95

Subject:- Grant of Scholarship to the Physically Handicapped students from Ist class to and the class to higher studies.

In continuation of Haryana Government Social Welfare Department sanction order No. 8550-53-GA-ii (SW-72 dated 2.8.72 and Memo No. 3924-SW(1)-85, dated 25.10.85, No. 992- SW(1)93, dated 13.5.93 and NO. 1258-SW(1)94, dated 13.694, sanction of the Governor of Haryana is herby accorded to revise the rates of scholarship to the physically Handicapped students receiving education in the various Govt. / Recognised Schools/ Colleges in the State with effect from 1.10.94 as desired by P.A.C. as under, subject to the condition that the expenditure involved on this account would be met from the savings of the department:-

Rates of Scholarship from Ist Class to VIII Class.

Sr. No.	Nature of the Disability		Upto Primary Class from Ist to IV Class & V Class	Upto Middle from VI Class to 8^th Class.
1	Deaf & Dumb	Rs. 100/-	120/-	120/-
2	Orthopeadically	Rs. 100/-	120/-	120/-
3	Blind	Rs. 100/-	150/-	150/-
4	Mentally Retarded Children	Rs. 100/-	100/-	100/-

Rates of Scholarship from IX Class to Higher studies

Type of Courses	Rates of Scholarship per month for day scholars	Rates for month hostellers	Readers allowance for Visually6 Handicapped only pr month
Class IX, X Pre- University Course and IA/ SC	Rs. 125/-	Rs. 150/-	Rs. 50/-
BA/B.Sc. / B.Com. etc.	Rs. 200/-	Rs. 225/-	75/-
B.E/ B.Tech./ M.B.B.S./L.L.B./ B.Ed. Diploma in professional and Engineering Studies etc. in plan Training	Rs. 250/-	Rs. 300/-	Rs. 100/-
M.A./ M.Sc. / M. Com. L.L.M. / M Ed. etc.	Rs. 300/-	Rs. 400/-	Rs. 100/-

The expenditure involved would be debatable out of the saving under the head: “2235-Social Security & Welfare-02-Social Welfare (SDS-101-Welfare of Handicapped )- (iii) Scholarship to Physically Handicapped students –Non- Plan and

“2235-Social Security & Welfare- 02-Social Welfare (SDS)-101-Welfare of Handicapped Part-I-State Plan Scheme (i) Scholarship to physically Handicapped students Plan”

This issues with the concurrence of Finance Department conveyed of their U.O. No. 3/2/92/3FG-II/741 dated 31.3.95.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary for Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana,
Social Welfare Department.

From

The Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana.
Social Welfare Department.

The Director,
Social Defence & Security Department,
Haryana, Chandigarh.

Memo NO. 219-SW(1) 96
Dated, Chandigarh, 31-2-96

Subject:- Enhancement of Income Criteria of the parent / guardians from Rs. 2000/- to 6000/- per month for the grant of scholarships to Physically Handicapped students studying in the higher classes/ diploma course.

In continuation of Haryana Govt., Social Welfare Deptt. order No. 750-SW(1)-95, dated 31-3-95 the Governor of Haryana is pleased to increased income Criteria of the parents/guardians from RS. 2000/- to 6000/- per month for the grant of scholarships to physically handicapped students studying in the higher classes, diploma courses with effect from 1.4.95, (9^th class onward.)

2. This issues with the concurrence of Finance Deptt. conveyed vide their U.O. No 3/2/92-3FG-II/2610, dated 4.1.96.

Sd/- Joint Secretary

for Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana,
Social Welfare Department.

Endst. No. 219-SW(1) -96 Dated, 13.2.96

A copy is forwarded to the following for information for a necessary action:-

Accountant General (ASE/ AUDIT), Haryana, Chandigarh.
All Deputy Commissioner in the Haryana state.
All District Social Welfare Officers in the Haryana Sate.
All Deputy Director at Head Quarter.
All Superintendent at Head Quarter.
Senior Accounts Officer, Head Quarter.

Sd/- Joint Secretary
for Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana, Social Welfare Department.

From

The Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana.
Social Welfare Department.

The Director,
Social Defence & Security Department,
Haryana, Chandigarh.

Memo NO. 3422-SW(1) 2002
Dated, Chandigarh, 25.11.2002

Subject:- Enhancement in the rates of Scholarships for Blind students Hostlers & Readers allowance to Blind students studying in the higher classes, diploma course w.e.f. 1.11.2002

In continuation of Haryana Govt. Social Welfare Department order No. 758-SW(1) 95 dated 31.3.95 and 219 SW(1) 96 dated 13.2.96. The Governor of Haran is pleased to increase the rates of scholarships (Hostlers & Reader’s allowances) to only blind students studying in the higher classes, diploma course w.e.f 1. 11..2002 (9^th class onwards) as under:-

Rates of scholarship from 9^th class to higher studies.

Rates of Scholarship

1	2	3	4
Type of Course	Rate per month for day scholars Not revised	Rate per month for hostellers Revised w.e.f. 1.11.02 (only for Blinds)	Readers allowance for Visually (blinds) Handicapped only per month

1. Class IX, X, Pre-University Course and I.A./I.Sc.	125/-	300/-	150/-
2. B.A/ B.Sc / B.Com. etc.	200/-	400/-	200/-
3. B.Ed/ B.Tech. / MBBS/ L.L.B/ B.Ed. Diploma in Professional and Engineering studies etc./ In Plan training	250/-	500/-	250/-
4. M.A/ M. Sc/ M.Com/ LLM/ M.Ed etc.	300/-	500/-	250/-

The expenditure would be debatable out of saving under the head “ 2235- Social Security & Welfare -02 Social Welfare- 101-Welfare of Handicapped- (iv) Scholarship to Physically Handicapped students Non Plan (SJE)” and “ 2235—Social Welfare -101- Welfare of Handicapped Part I State.

Plan Scheme – (iii Scholarship to Physically Handicapped students Plan (SJE).

The issues with concurrence of Finance Department conveyed vide of their U.O. No. 3292 3 FG II(2397) dated 29.10.02

Sd/-
Joint Secretary for Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana,
Social Welfare Department.

Endst. No. 3422- SW(1) 2002 dated 25.11.2002

Accountant forward to the following for information & necessary action:-
1.    Accountant General ( A&E Audit, Haryana, Chandigarh.
2.    All Deputy Commissioners in the Haryana State.
3.    All Distt. Social Welfare Officers in the Haryana State.
4.    All Deputy Director at Headquarter.
5.    Senior Accounts Officer Head Quarter.

Sd/-
Joint Secretary for Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana, Social Welfare Department.
A copy is forwarded to the Finance Commissioner & Secretary to Govt. Haryana Finance Department with reference to his U.O.No 3292 3 FG II(2397) dated 29.10.02 F.G.
Sd/-
Joint Secretary for Commissioner & Secy. to Govt. Haryana, Social Welfare Department.

To
Financial Commissioner Secretary Govt.
Haryana Finance Department
No. 3422   SW(1) 2002 dated 25.11.2002

From

The Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary,
to Govt. Haryana, Social Justice & Empowerment Department.

To
The Director, Social Justice & Empowerment Department, Haryana.
Memo No. 483-SW(I)-10
Chandigarh, dated 20-10-2010.

Subject: Enhancement in the Rates of Scholarship and income criteria of the parents/guardians for the Handicapped Students.
In continuation of Haryana Govt. Social Justice & Empowerment Department letter No. 3422-SW(I)2001 dated 25-11-2002 and instructions issued thereof from time to time, the Governor of Haryana is pleased to increase the rates of scholarship to the physically Handicapped Students of Haryana State studying in various classes of various Govt./Recognized Schools, Colleges in the State w.e.f. 1-4-2010, as per details given below:-

Sr. No.	Type of class	Rates of Scholarship for day scholars per month	Rate of scholarship for hostellers per month	Reader allowance for visually handicapped only per month.
1	Class I-IV	300/-	-	-
2	Class-V-VIII	400/-	-	-
3	Class- IX-XII	500/-	600/-	300/-
4	B.A/B.Sc/B.Com	600/-	800/-	400/-
5	B.E/B.Tech./MBBS/LLB/B.Ed and diploma in professional & engineering studies etc.	800/-	1000/-	500/-
6	MA/MSC/M.Com/LLM/M.Ed/M.Tech, etc	1000/-	1000/-	500/-

2. The revised Rates of the scholarship will be subject to the condition that income criteria of the parents/guardians of handicapped students is hereby fixed Rs. 10,000/- p.m.

3. The expenditure involved would be debitable to the head"2235 Social Security and welfare-02-Social welfare (Social Justice & Empowerment Department Haryana) 101-Welfare of Handicapped-97(iv) Scholarship to Physically Handicapped Students-Non Plan 2010-11.

4. This issue with the concurrence of Finance Department conveyed vide their U.O. NO. 3/2/92-3FG-II/1950 dated 24-9-2010.

Sd/- Deputy Secretary,
Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary, to Govt. Haryana,
Social Justice & Empowerment Department

Endst. NO. 483-SW(I) 2010 Chandigarh, dated the 20-10-2010

A copy of above is forwarded to the following for information and necessary action;-
1.    Accountant General (A&E)/Audit, Haryana, Chandigarh.
2.    Joint Director, at Headquarter.
3.    Chief Account Officer, Budget, at Headquarter.
4.    All District Social Welfare Officer in the State.

Sd/-
Deputy Secretary,
Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to Govt. Haryana,
Social Justice & Empowerment Department

A copy forwarded to the Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to Govt. Haryana, Finance Department with reference to his U.O. No. 3/2/92-3FG-II/1950 dated 24-9-2010.

Sd/-
Deputy Secretary,
Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary, to Govt. Haryana,
Social Justice & Empowerment Department

To
The Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretariat to Govt. Haryana, Finance Department.
No. 483 -SW(1) 2010 Chandigarh, dated the 20-10-2010

From
The Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary,
to Govt. Haryana, Social Justice & Empowerment Department.

To
The Director, Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
Haryana.

Memo No. 848-SW(4)-2011
Chandigarh, dated 28-11-2011.

Subject: Enhancement in the Rates of Scholarship and income criteria of the parents/guardians for the Handicapped Students.
In continuation of Haryana Govt. Social Justice & Empowerment Department letter No. 483-SW(I)2010 dated 20-10-2010 and instructions issued thereof from time to time, the Governor of Haryana is pleased to increase the rates of scholarship to the physically Handicapped Students of Haryana State studying in various classes of various Govt./Recognized Schools, Colleges in the State w.e.f. 2012-2013 as per details given below:-

Sr. No	Type of class	Rates of Scholarship for day scholars per month	Rate of scholarship for hostellers per month	Reader allowance for visually handicapped only per month
1	Class I-IV	400/-	-	-
2	Class-V-VIII	500/-	-	-
3	Class- IX-XII	600/-	600/-	300/-
4	B.A/B.Sc/B.Com	600/-	800/-	400/-
5	B.E/B.Tech./MBBS/LLB/B.Ed and diploma in professional & engineering studies etc	800/-	1000/-	500/-
6	MA/MSC/M.Com/LLM/M.Ed/M.Tech etc	1000/-	1000/-	500/-

2. The revised rates of the scholarship will be subject to the condition that income criteria of the parents/guardians of handicapped students is hereby fixed Rs. 10,000/- p.m.
3. The expenditure involved would be debitable to the head"2235 Social Security and welfare-02-Social welfare (Social Justice & Empowerment Department Haryana) 101-Welfare of Handicapped-97(iv) Scholarship to Physically Handicapped Students-Non Plan 2012-13.
4. The issued with the concurrence of Finance Department conveyed vide their U.O. NO. 3/2/92-3FG-II/1865 dated 18-10-2011.

Sd/-
Deputy Secretary,
Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary, to Govt. of Haryana,
Social Justice & Empowerment Department

HARYANA GOVERNMENT
SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

No. 1344- SW(1) -81:- The Governor of Haryana is pleased to formulate the following rules governing the scheme for the grant of Unemployment Allowance to the Physically Handicapped persons.

Objectives
It is observed that the Employment of the Handicapped is very meagre. The employers show reluctance to employ them even if the handicapped possess requisite qualifications. Their period of wait after the completion of education and training is also unduly long. In order to mitigate the economic difficulties faced by the handicapped, maintenance grant will be given to all the educated physically handicapped persons who are qualified to get jobs but are not able to find employment due to various reasons.
The department is also implementing a scheme for grant of educational scholarship to the blind. Financial assistance being given under the state Govt. and Govt. of India’s Scheme. The rate of unemployment allowance Rs. 50/- to matriculates, Rs. 100/- to Graduate / Diploma holders and Rs. 150/- to post-graduate will not in any way discourage the handicapped persons from seeking further education. This scheme is to be implemented with effect from 1-4-1981.

II-Eligibility
All educated unemployed, applicants shall be eligible for the grant of unemployment allowance who are physically handicapped in accordance with the criteria given in Appendix-I and are enrolled:-
(a) An applicant should not be availing of financial assistance under any pension, maintenance or scholarship scheme of the State or Central Government or from any other organisati0on or agency;
(b) State/ Central Govt. employees and also those of the public Sector understanding, local bodies and quasi-Govt. institutions, who may have been dismissed from service or are in receipt of pensions form such employers and persons convicted of cognisable offences involving moral turpitude shall not be eligible for the benefits under this scheme.

III- Rate of Unemployment Allowance.
The following shall be the rates for the payment of unemployment allowance:-
Matric Rs. 50/-P.M.
Graduate/Diploma Holders Rs. 100/-P.M.
Post Graduates Rs. 150/- P.M.

IV- Duration
Financial assistance will be given for a period of six year from the date of application or registration in the Employment.

V- Application for Unemployment Allowance.

Applications for Unemployment allowance shall be submitted to the Director, Social Welfare, Haryana, on the prescribed form as at Appendix –II, Applications will be processed and submitted in his office and the decision of the Director, Social Welfare, Haryana shall be final.

VI- Power to sanction Unemployment Allowance.

The power to sanction Unemployment Allowance shall vest in the Director, Social Welfare or an officer not below the rank of class II officer who may be delectated such authority by him.

VII- Stoppage or Recovery of the Unemployment Allowance

The authority empowered to sanction the Unemployment Allowance may:-

(a) Step the payment of the unemployment allowance to any recipient, if the said allowance is no more payable to any change in the circumstances in which the some was sanctioned:
(b) Withdraw or with held the payment of unemployment allowance if at any stage it is discovered that the unemployment allowance was not admissible in the first instance and it was sanctioned by mistake or an false information or in disregard of any condition subject to which it could be sanctioned. The amount of unemployment allowance already paid may also be recovered without prejudice to an action, whether civil or criminal to which the recipient may be liable.
ii) In the event of the death of the recipient the un-employment allowance shall cease to the payable and if the recipient died before receiving any payment the amount not disbursed shall lapse to the Government.
iii) If at any time, a money order retaining to the disbursement of the unemployment allowance is received back undelivered due to any reasons whatsoever, the amount shall be predicted to the Government account unless it is claimed person all by the recipient within on month of its receipt.

VIII- Remittance of unemployment allowance.

The unemployment allowance shall be remitted to the recipient by money order on quarterly basis at the cost of the Government.
XI- Unemployment Allowance not enforceable through court of law.
The unemployment allowance under these shall not be enforceable though the court of law.

X- Yearly affidavit.
To draw the unemployment allowance in a subsequent year, the handicapped will be required to give an affidavit at the beginning of every financial year that they contained to be unemployment.

TIRLOCHAN SINGH
Commissioner & Secretary Officer
Haryana Social Welfare Department

(Extract Haryana Government Gazette, dated the 5th December, 1995)

HARYANA GOVERNMENT

SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

Notification

The 13^th November, 2003

No. 1935-SW(1) 95 In partial modification of Haryana Government, Social Welfare Department Notification No. 3144-SW(1) 81, dated the 7th December, 1981, the Governor of Haryana is pleased to amend para 3 of the rules governing the Scheme for the grant of unemployment allowance to the Physically Handicapped Persons with effect from Ist April, 1996 as under:-

(III) Rates of Unemployment Allowance

The following shall be the rates for the payment of unemployment allowance :-

1.      Matric/ Middle Pass Diploma Holder                           Rs.150/-
2.      Graduate/ Matric Pass Diploma Holder                       Rs. 200/-
3.       Post Graduate, Graduate Diploma Holder                   Rs. 250/-

3. This issues with the concurrence of Finance Department conveyed vide their U.O.No 1/88/95-3 FG-II/2374/01, dated 28th November, 2003.

VEENA EAGLETON,

Commissioner and Principal Secretary to
Government of Haryana, Social Welfare Department.

Extract Haryana Government Gazette, dated the 23rd December, 2003

HARYANA GOVERNMENT

SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

Notification

The 8^th December, 2003

No. 3012-SW(1)2003. In partial modification of Haryana Government, Social Welfare Department Notification No. 3144-SW(1)81, dated the 7th December, 1981, the Governor of Haryana is pleased to increase the rates of unemployment allowance under para 3 of the rules governing the scheme Unemployment allowance to Educated Physically Handicapped Persons w.e.f. 3rd December, 2003 as under:-

(1) Rates of Unemployment Allowance

The following shall be the rates for the payment of unemployment allowance :-

1. Matric/ Middle Pass Diploma Holder Rs. 200/- p.m

2. Graduate/ Matric Pass Diploma Holder Rs. 250/- p.m.

3. Post Graduate, Graduate Diploma Holder Rs. 300/- p.m.

This issues with the concurrence of Finance Department conveyed vide their U.O.No 1/88/95-3 FG-II/2374/01, dated 28th November, 2003.

VEENA EAGLETON,
Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Government of Haryana
Social Welfare Department
Chandigarh
The 28th November, 2003

Haryana Government Gazette, dated the 13^th February, 2007

HARYANA GOVERNMENT

SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

Notification

The 24^th January, 2007

No. 94-SW(1)2007. The Governor of Haryana is pleased to increase the rates of Unemployment Allowance to 100 percent Handicapped Persons ( Blinds/ Orthopaedically Handicapped/ Deaf and Dumb) only under para-3 of the governing the scheme. Unemployment Allowance to the Educated Physically Handicapped Persons w.e.f First April, 2006 would be as under:-

1. Matric/ Middle Pass Diploma Holder Rs. 1000/- p.m

2. Graduate/ Maric Pass Diploma Holder Rs. 1500/-p.m.

3. Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma Holder Rs. 2000/-p.m.

This issues with the concurrence of Finance Department conveyed vide their U.O.No 1/68/95-3 FG-II/2510.. dated 9^th January, 2007.

Sd/-

ANURADHA GUPTA,
Commissioner and Secretary to Government Haryana
Social Welfare Department.

HARYANA GOVERNMENT

SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

NOTIFICATION

No. 2066- SW(4)2003 - In suppression of Haryana Government Notification No. 2187—SW(4) 95 Dated 15.12.95, the Governor of Haryana pleased to constitute. The State Selection Committee for period of three years w.e.f. 15.2.2003 (i.e. 15.2.2003 to 14.2.2006) for the selection of persons in the Haryana State consisting of the following members.

1. Minister Social Welfare Department, Haryana Chairman

2. Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary Member

to Govt. Haryana, Social Welfare Department.

3. Director of Industries, Haryana Member

4. Labour Commissioner, Haryana Member

5. Director General, Health Service Haryana Member

6. Director, Employment, Haryana Member

7. Director, Social Justice & Empowerment Deptt. Member

Haryana. Secretary

Non- Official Member

1. Dr. V.J.S Vohra NEVEDAC Prosthetic Centre Member

Near Airport, Chandigarh.

2. Dr. Smt. Mamgam, General Secretary, Social Member

Health in India, Haryana State Branch, Chandigarh.

1. The main function of the committee will be select the handicapped persons for the National State Awards during the year.

2. The terms of the members of committee will be for three years.

3. The Head Quarter of the committee will be at Chandigarh.

4. The members of the committee will draw travelling allowance daily allowance as under:-

(i) Non-official members of the committee shall be entitled to the actual expense and daily allowance as admissible to Haryana Govt. Servants in accordance with the instruction issued by the Haryana Govt. from time to time.

(ii) The travelling and daily allowance to the Non-official members will be admissible on producing of a certificate to the effect that no Travelling allowance in respect of the journey or daily allowance for the period mentioned in the bill has been or will be claimed by them from any other source.

(iii) The travelling allowance for meeting of the committee will be allowed to the members from their permanent residence to the place of the meeting. If, however a member attend meeting from a place other than the place of his permanent residence, T.A bill be allowed to him either from the place of his residence or from where he attends the meeting whichever the distance loss.

(iv) The Non- official member of the committee who resides at the place where meeting of the committee was held will not entitled Travelling allowance / Daily allowance.

5. The entire expenditure involved will be incurred under the head “2235-Social Security & Welfare-02- Social Welfare -101- Welfare of Handicapped viii State Award to outstanding employer placement officers/ Handicapped 7 most efficient Handicapped employed/ self employed handicapped person Non- Plan 2003-04.

VEENA EAGLETON
Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to
Govt. Haryana, Social Welfare Department.

Endst. No. 2066- SW(4) 2003 Dated 9-9-2003

A copy is forwarded to the Chairman/ All members of the Committee for information and necessary action.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary,

For Financial Commissioners & Principal Secretary

to Govt. HaSd/-ryana, Social Welfare Department.

Endst. No. 2066- SW(4) 2003 Dated 9-9-2003

A copy is forwarded to the Accountant General Haryana Chandigarh for information and necessary action.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary,

For Financial Commissioners & Principal Secretary

to Govt. Haryana, Social Welfare Department.

Endst. No. 2066- SW(4) 2003 Dated 9-9-2003

A copy is forwarded to the Controller. Printing and Stationary Department Haryana, Chandigarh for publishing the notification in the Haryana Government Gazette. Part- I One hundred spare copies or the notification may please be supplied to the undersigned at the earliest.

Sd/-
Joint Secretary,
For Financial Commissioners & Principal Secretary to Govt. of Haryana,
Social Welfare Department.

SCHEMES REGARDING CONFERING TE STATE AWARDS TO 16 OUTSTANDING EMPLOYERS/PLACEMENT OFFICERS OF THE HANDICAPPED AND MOST EFFICIENT HANDICAPPED EMPLOYERS/ SELF EMPLYED HANDICAPPED PERSONS.

INTRODUCATION

Since the advent of independence, State Govt./Government of India have been taking keen interest to solve various problems of handicapped persons. In order to enable then to become self reliant in life special emphasis has been laid on education, training and rehabilitation of the handicapped. Despite educational and training opportunities for the handicapped for numbers of years. Our efforts for placing them inn suitable employment have been some what sporadic. Experience in the economically advanced countries had clearly demonstrated that both economic and human values of placing trained handicapped persons properly in modern industry, business agriculture and public service could bring useful results.

Realising the importance of discovering avenue of employment for handicapped and need for a concerned efforts in this direction, special employment exchanges were set up for the handicapped persons. In the wide range of occupation both in public and private sections. This was, however, a relatively shall achievement and much greater efforts were needed to stimulate the efforts to the placement of trained handicapped persons in suitable employment. As an incentive since 1069 the resident of India has been giving away annually awards to outstanding employer of the handicapped / handicapped employees / self employed handicapped persons and the placement officers of the handicapped. This has produced encouraging results.

With a view to increase the avenues of placement/ employment for handicapped persons, it has decided by the State Government to confer state awards as are awarded by the Govt. of India.

Under the scheme being operated by the G9overnment of India a National Selection Committee stands constituted at the Central Level for considering the cases of handicapped persons for National Awards recommended by the State Selection Committee, which will be constituted every year by the department, . The composition of the committee will be as under:

1	Minister for Social Welfare Department	Chairman
2	Secretary, Social Welfare Department	Member
3	Director, Industries Haryana	Member
4	Commissioner, Labour Department	Member
5	Director, General Health Department	Member
6	Two prominent experts in the rehabilitation of handicapped (non officials, will be nominated by the Chairman.)	Member
7	Director, Social Justice & Empowerment	Member Secretary

This committee shall also be responsible for the selection of candidates for the conferring of State Awards.

SCOPE
Separate awards will be presented to outstanding employers of the handicapped and to the most efficient handicapped employees including self employed handicapped persons and placement officers from the following section:-
1.    The State Govt. Statutory bodies etc.
2.    Public Sector undertaking of the State Government.
3.    Private sector including self employed handicapped persons.
Nature of Awards.

a)	Employees/ Self Employed	10 Prizes
	First Prize	Rs. 5000/- and certificate
	Second Prize	Rs. 4000/- and certificate
	Third Prize	Rs. 3000/- and certificate (2 Nos)
	Fourth Prize	Rs. 2000/- and certificate.(2Nos)
b)	Employees of the Handicapped	Two Prizes
	First Prize	A big shield and certificate of merit
	Second Prize	A small shield and certificate of merit
	Placement Officers	One Prize
	One Prize	Rs. 4000/- and certificate of merit

Production of Selection

Initially selection for presentation of State Awards will be made by the departmental committee consisting of Director, Social Justice & empowerment and all Deputy Directors of the Department. The departmental committee will submit its recommendations to the State selection committee for making final selection.

Since selection is to be receipt of applications on the prescribed from will be fixed by Government of India.

The State government may at its discretion invite recommendations from institutions for the handicapped administered directly by it.

Criteria for Selection of Employers
Employers are proposed to be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:-

i) That at least 2% of their employees are disabled subject to a minimum of three persons in a given establishment. In case of larger establishment employing 15 handicapped persons or more.
ii) That whatever necessary minor adjustments in the meeting have been made.
iii) That the disabled are offered in same conditions of service. Including the rates of the pa is given to other employees.
iv) That the employees have shown sympathetic consideration understanding of the problems of handicapped and.
v) That were necessary and feasible, such additional facilities as accommodation are provided.

For Handicapped Employers including Self Employed Handicapped Persons.
The employees and self employed handicapped persons are proposed to be accessed on the basis of the following criteria:-
i) That he has placed at least 20o o of the number of people registered with him during the last one years.
ii) His fellow up during the last given year coupled with placement of the people registered with him upto the end of the last year is outstanding.
iii) That the attitude f the placement officer towards the registered handicapped persons has been sympathetic.
Due regards be given to the performance and hard work put in the placement officer keeping in view the larger number of beneficiaries handed by him.

Procedure for Presenting The Awards.

The Awards may be received personally be selected employers, placement officers and self employed persons in Chandigarh or a place as decided by the chairman in consultation with the Governor of Haryana. They will be paid travelling and daily allowance by the social Justice & Empowerment. The Government may on this occasion give a reception to which may be invited prominent citizen including the representatives of employers, with a view to giving stimulus to the campaign for the placements f handicapped persons in suitable employment.

From

The Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to Govt. Haryana, Social Justice & Empowerment Department.
To
The Director Social Justice & Empowerment Department.
Haryana, Chandigarh.

No. 1759 SW(1) /2008 Chandigarh, Dated the 4-02-2008

Subject:- Revision of Rates of States Awards to the Physically Handicapped Persons.

Sanction of the Governor of the Haryana is hereby accorded to revise the rates of the State Awards in connection with the Presentation of Annual Awards to the Handicapped Persons of the States under the Scheme “ Scheme regarding conferring the State Awards for Outstanding Employers / Placement Officers of the Handicapped and the most efficient Handicapped Employees/ Self Employed Handicapped Persons”. The rates are revised as under:-

S.No	Category of prize	Nature of the prize No. of prize	Present rates and certificate	Revised rates and certificates
1	Employee/ Self Employed	First Prize (one) Second Prize (one) Third Prize (two) Fourth Prize(three)	Rs.5000/- and certificate Rs. 4000/- ad certificate Rs. 3000/- and certificate Rs. 2000/- and certificate	Rs. 10000/- and certificates. Rs. 8000/- and certificate Rs. 6000/- and certificate Rs. 4000/- and certificate.
2	Employers of the Handicapped	First Prize (one) Second Prize (one)	A big shield and certificate of merit. A small shield and certificate of merit.	Rs. 5000/- and certificate of merit. Rs. 3000/- and certificate of merit.
3	Placement Officer of the Handicapped	One Prize	Rs. 4000/- and certificate of merit.	Rs. 8000/- and certificate of merit

2. The Expenditure involved would be debatable to the Head “2235- Social Security and Welfare-02- Social Welfare- Social Justice and Empowerment, Haryana-101- Welfare of Handicapped-X State Award to Outstanding Employer / Placement officer of the Handicapped and most efficient Handicapped Employees/ Self Employed Handicapped Persons – other charges Social Security and Welfare –NON PLAN during the year 2007-08.
3. This issues with the concurrence of Finance Department conveyed vide their U.O. No. 1/6/94-3 FG-II (1944) dated 27-11-2007.

Sd/-
Joint Secretary,
for Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to
Govt. Haryana, Social Justice & Empowerment Deptt.
Endst. NO. 1759 SW(1) / 2008,
Chandigarh, dated the
A copy is forwarded to the Accountant General (Audit)/ A&E Haryana Chandigarh for information and necessary action.
Sd/-
Joint Secretary,
for Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to Govt
Haryana, Social Justice & Empowerment Deptt.

A copy is forwarded to the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Govt. Haryana, Finance Department with reference to their U.O No. 1/6/94-3FG-II(1944) dated -27-11-2007.

Sd/-
Joint Secretary,
for Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to
Govt. Haryana, Social Justice & Empowerment Deptt.

To
The Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Govt.
Haryana, Finance Department,
U.O.No. 1759 SW(1) /2008 Chandigarh, dated the

ANNEXURE-A
PARTICULARS OF RECOMMENDED EMPLOYEE/SELF EMPLOYED WITH DISABLITIES FOR STATE AWARD

1.	Name(a) in English(in BLOCK Capital letters
	(b) in Hindi
2.	Address: (a) Residential
	(b)Office
3.	Telephone numbers: (a) Residential
	(b) Office
4.	FAX Number: (a) Residential
	(b) Office
5.	E-mail address, if any
6.	Sex
7.	Date of Birth/Age
8.	Nature/Category of disability
9.	Percentage of disability (Certificate of competent authority to be attached)
10.	Qualification: (a) Academic
	(b) Technical
11.	Trainings received, if any:
12.	Details of experience gained informally
13.	Whether employee or self-employed
14.	If employee:
	(a) Name of the Employer
	(b) Designation or Post held
	(b) Scale of pay and salary drawn
	(c) Nature of work engaged on
	(d) How does his/her productivity compare to that of his non-disabled counterparts in percentage of 10% more or less.
	(e) Rehabilitation with fellow – employed
	(f) Independence in work(encircles the grading option)	Very Good Good Poor
	(g) Mobility and self care remarks including a brief life sketch of about 200 words of the candidate highlighting his struggle against the disadvantages created by his disability ( encircle the grading option)	Very Good Good Poor
	(h) Punctuality ad regularity in attendance (encircle the grading option)	Very Good Good Poor
	(i) Whether any incentive/ rewards/ certificate given to the employee by the employer for his work during last three years. If yes, details thereof.
	(j) General assessment of the employee for last three years ( encircle the grading option)	Very Good Good Poor
15.	If self-employed:
	(a) Trade/ Professional with which associated
	(b) Monthly Income ( Attach copy of last income Tax Return filed/ Income Certificate)
	(c) How far you have upgraded your skill in that trade/ profession with a view to absorb yourself fully as a self-employed entrepreneur?
	(d) Social- economic problems/ constraints being faced in the existing trade/ profession to become a sustainable self- employed entrepreneur
	(e) (i) Whether taken loan from any bank/ financial institution of State/ Central Government (give full details)
	(ii) .If yes, indicate the balance amount of loan to be repaid
	(f) Have you ever been declare to be a defaulter to any nationalized bank/ financial institution/cooperative bank.
16.	If any National or State Level Award received during last five years, then please mention: (a) Name of the Award (b) Conferring Agency (c) Year of conferment

NOTE:

In case of self-employed persons with disabilities, the particulars may be duly certified by a gazette Officer of the Central/ State Govt. / Member of Parliament/ Member of State Legislature / Municipal Corp. etc.
Three copies of the photographs clearly showing disability of recommended employees/ self-employed with disabilities, with bio- data be enclosed.
Application should be supported by a Medical certificate indicating the degree of total disability.

ANNEXURE- B
PARTICULARSOF EMPLOYERS FOR STATE AWARDS

1	Name in English ( Block Capital letters ) and Hindi
2	Postal and telegraphic address of the organization with telephone & fax number.
3	Web- site address, if any
4	E-mail address, if any
5	Whether Government/ public Sector Undertaking/ Private
6	Nature of work undertaken by the organization
7	Total number of employer in the organization	Male Female Total
8	Number of employees with disability in the organization category-wise and sex- wise	Male Female Total
9	Number disability of the employees (if the organization has employees with various disabilities, please indicate the number of employees with each disability)
10	Percentage of employers with disability as Compared with the total number of Employees.
11	Nature of work in which Persons with disability are employed.
12	Whether their service conditions are the same as those for others.
13	Whether any modifications are made in the machinery and access is provided in the built environment.
14	Special effort made to train and employee persons with disability so far and plans for future.
15	How does the productivity of Employees with disability compare with that of non- disabled employees.
16	Remarks

Signature of the recommending authority with date

ANNEXURE- C

PARTICULARS OF THE AGENCY/OFFICER RESPONSIBLE FOR PLACEMENT OF THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FOR STATE AWARDS

1. PERSONAL DATA

1	Name in English ( in Block Capital letters) and Hindi
2	Date of Birth
3	Educational qualification
4	Postal address
5	Telegraphic address/ FAX No.
6	Telephone Number : Office: Residence:
7	Web-site / E-mail address, if any
8	Name of the employer with complete address (Give all the employers with whom employed during the last five years, last name to be given first).
9	Total service in the capacity

PERFOMANCE DATA: Placement and follow- up Give the information for the last five years.

S.No.	Year	No. of Persons with Disabilities Registered Placed Male Female Male Female (Disability wise)	No. % age of placement to Registration	No. of cases followed up	% of dropouts from employment with brief reasons
(1)	(2)	(3) (4) (5) (6)	(7)	(8)	(9)
1	2003
2	2004
3	2005
4	2006
5	2007

III. Brief particulars of the Placement Officer:

Signature of applicant with date

Signature of the recommending authority with date

Broadly, “Placing” means an employers acceptance of a persons into a remunerative job as a result of the following Employment Exchange operations as a result of the ---
i) Booking on an order prior to submission;
ii) Pre-submission of the persons to be referred to the employer.
iii) Submission of the selected persons and verification / that the persons have been engaged.
(Defining as given in the National Employment Service Manual.)

SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED
PERSONS FOR PURCHASE/FITTING OF AIDS/APPLIANCES (ADIP SCHEME)

Applicable w.e.f. April 2005

Govt. of India
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,
Shastri Bhawan
New Delhi

SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED PERSONS FOR PURCHASE/FITTING OF AIDS/APPLIANCES (ADIP SCHEME)

1. INTRODUCTION

It has been the constant endeavour of the Government to provide the disabled persons with aids/appliance at minimum costs. The requirement for providing of aids/appliances, which are essential for the social, economic and vocational rehabilitation of the disabled persons, has come into sharp focus, particularly after the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, which came into force in 1996. Various surveys conducted from time to time have made it clear that India has a very large number of disabled persons. Many of them come from low-income groups. Disability restricts their opportunities for leading functionally productive lives. From the application of modern technology, there have emerged a number of aids, which can reduce the effects of disabilities and enhance the economic potential of the disabled. To illustrate a wheel chair, an artificial limb, crutch, a brace, a splint can greatly improve the mobility of physically disabled individual. Similarly, with the help of a powerful hearing aid, persons with some residual hearing can be helped to carry on many activities of daily living. Low vision to read, print and undertake other activities resulting in their rehabilitation. However, a large number of disabled persons are deprived of the benefits of these appliances because of their inability to find funds to purchase them.

In the light of the Government’s growing stress on helping disabled persons and in bringing the aids and appliances within their reach, it has been decided in continue the ADIP Scheme and modify it in such a way that it becomes more user-friendly and the needy are not deprived of aids/appliances, which are essential for their social, economic and vocational rehabilitation. If they can, thereby, become earning members they would be much closer to achieve economic self-dependence and also be able to live and pursue their activities dignity.

2. THE SECHME AND ITS OBJECTIVES

The Scheme aims at helping the disabled persons by bringing suitable, durable, scientifically-manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances within their reach The estimates, according to 58^th Sample Survey conducted by NSSO in 2002, indicate that there are about 18.04 million persons with various types of disabilities in the country. Their disabilities restrict the opportunity for their economic and social growth. In addition, about 3% of the children below 14 years of age suffer from delayed development. Many of them are mentally retarded and cerebral palsied and require some aids/appliances to attain the capacity for self-care and independent living.

The main objective of the Scheme is to assist the needy disabled persons in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation by reducing the disabilities and enhance their economic potential. The aids and appliances supplied under the Scheme must be ISI.

3. DEFINITIONS

Definitions of various types of disabilities as given in The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (PWD ACT)

4. SCOPE

The Scheme will be implemented through the Implementing Agencies as listed in the following para. The Agencies will be provided with financial assistance for purchase fabrication and distribution of such standard aids and appliances that are in conformity with objective of the Scheme. The Implementing Agencies will take care of/make suitable arrangements for fitting and post-fitting care of the aids and appliances distributed under ADIP Scheme. The scope of the Scheme has been further enlarged to include use of mass media, exhibitions. workshops etc, for exchange of information and promoting awareness and distribution and use of aids/appliances.

The Scheme shall also include under its ambit, medical/surgical correction & intervention, which is essential prior to fitment of aids and appliances. The cost could range from Rs. 500/- for hearing & speech Impaired to Rs. 1,000/- for visually disabled and Rs. 3,000/- for orthopacidcally disabled.

5. ELIGIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AGENCY UNDER THE SCHEME

The following agencies would be eligible to implement the Scheme on behalf of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, subject to fulfilment of laid down terms and conditions:

i Societies, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and their branches, if any, separately.

ii Registered charitable trusts.

iii District Rural Development Agencies, Indian Red Cross Societies and other Autonomous Bodies headed by District Collector/Chief Executive Officer/District Development Officer of Zilla Parishad.

iv National/Apex Institutes including ALIMCO functioning under administrative control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment/Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

v State Handicapped Development Corporations.

vi Local Bodies-Zilla Parishad, Municipalities, District Autonomous Development Councils and Panchayats.

vii Nehru Yuvak Kendras.

Grant-in-aid under the Scheme will not be given for commercial supply of aid/appliance.

The NGOs should preferable possess professional/technical expertise in the form of professionally qualified staff (from recognized courses) for the identification, prescription of the required artificial aids/appliance, fitment and post fitment care of the beneficiaries as well as the aid/appliance.

The NGOs should preferable possess infrastructure in the form of machinery/equipment for the fabrication, fitment and maintenance of artificial aid/appliance to be given to a disabled person under ADIP Scheme.

Implementing Organisations should network and establish linkages with medical college/district hospitals/ rural hospitals/ PHCs/ fitment centres of ALIMCO/DDRCs/ any other professionally competent agency to acquire/avail the requisite infrastructure for fitment and maintenance of aids/ appliances distributed under ADIP Scheme available with these bodies. The implementing Agencies shall also avail of the professional/technical expertise of above mentioned agencies for fitment and post-fitment ALIMCO and DDRCs functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment shall also assist DRDAs and other autonomous organizations to develop requisite manpower and infrastructure over a period of time to provide satisfactory service to the beneficiaries under the Scheme. Such organizations while applying of the grant under the Scheme shall produce sufficient proof of linkages with the professional agencies preferably in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding.

6. ELIGIBILITY OF THE BENEFICIARIES.

A Person with disabilities fulfilling following conditions would be eligible for assistance under ADIP Scheme through authorized agencies.

He/she be an Indian citizen of any age.
Should be certified by a Registered / Medical Practitioner that he/ she is disabled and fit to use prescribed aids/ appliances.
Person who is employed / self-employed or getting pension and whose monthly income from all sources does not exceed RS. 10,000/- per month.
In case of dependents, the income of parents/ guardians should not exceed Rs. 10,000/- per month.
Persons who have not received assistance from the Government, local bodies and Non- Official Organisations during the last 3 years for the same purpose. However, for children below 12 years of age this limit would be 1 year.

7. QUANTUM OF ASSISTNACE TO DISABLED

Only those aids/ appliances which do not cost more than RS. 6,000/- are covered under the Scheme. However, for visually mentally, speech & hearing or multiple disabled, the limit should be Rs. 8,000/- during their study period aftaer IX standard. The limits will apply to individuals items of aid and where more than one aid is required, the ceiling will apply separately. The amount of assistance will be as follows.

Total Income	Amount of Assistance
(i) Upto Rs. 6,500/- per month. (ii) Rs. 6,501/- to Rs. 10,000/- per month	(i) Full cost of aids/ appliances. (ii) 50% of the cost of aids/ appliances

Further, travelling cost would be admissible limited to bus fare in ordinary class or railway by second class sleeper subject to limit Rs. 250/- for beneficiary irrespective of number of visits to the centre and a Certificate from Doctor or Rehabilitation Professional, travel expenses subject to the same limit would be admissible to an attendant/ escort accompanying the beneficiary. The beneficiary should attend the Rehabilitation Centre nearest to hi/ her place of residence, except in the North- Eastern Region where he may be allowed travel cost for travelling outside the Region till such facilities becomes available within that Region.

8. TYPES OF AIDS/ APPLIANCES TO BE PROVIDED.

Types following aids and appliances may be allowed for each type of disabled individual. However, any other item as notified from time to time by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the purpose will also be allowed.
LOCOMOTOR DISABLED.

i.    All types of prosthetic and orthotic devices.
ii.    Mobility aids like tricycles, wheelchairs, crutches walking sticks and walking frames/ rolators. Motorised tricycles for persons with locomotors disability that are likely to cost more than Rs. 6,000/- may be procured and provided in exceptional cases subject to prior approval of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on case to case basis. Extent of subsidy would however continue to be Rs. 6000/- For all other devices ceiling is Rs. 6,000/-
iii.    All types of surgical footwears and MCR Chappals.
iv.    All types of devices for ADL (activity of daily living).

VISUALLY DISABLED
i.    Learning equipments like arithmetic frame, abacus, geometry kits etc. Giants Braille dots system for slow-learning blind children. Dictaphone and other variable speed recording system. CD player / Tape recorder for blind student fro Xth standard.
ii.    Science learning equipments like talking balances, talking thermometer, measuring equipments like tape measures, micrometres etc.
iii.    Braille writing equipments including Bailers, Braille shorthand machines, typewriters for blind students from X Class. Talking machines, calculators, Geography learning equipment like raised maps and globes.
iv.    Communication equipment for the deaf-blind. Braille attachments for telephone for deaf-blind persons.
v.    Low vision aids including hand-held stand, lighted and unlighted magnifiers, speech synthesizers or Braille attachments for computers.
vi.    Special mobility aids for visually disabled people with muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy like adapted walkers.
vii.    Soft- ware for visually handicapped persons using computers that are likely to cost more than Rs. 6,000/- may procured ad provided in exceptional cases subject to prior approval of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on case to case basis. The extent of subsidy would however continue to be Rs. 6,000/-. For all other devices ceiling.

HEARING DISABLED.

i.` Various types of hearing aids.

ii. Educational kits like tape recorders/ CD player etc.

Assistive and alarming devices including devices for hearing of telephone, TV, doorbell, time alarm etc.
Communication aids, like, portable speech synthesizer etc.

MENTALLY DISABLED.

Any suitable device as advised by Rehabilitation Professional or treating physician.

9. PROCEDURE FOR RECIPT OF GRANT-IN-AID BY AN IMPLEMENTING AGENCY.

The organisation will submit their application in the prescribed format ( Annexure- I& II) to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through concerned State Government / UT Administration/National Institute/ Regional Rehabilitation Training Centre/ District Rehabilitation Centre/ any other agency authorized by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, every year. The application should be accompanied with following documents/ information (dully attested)

A copy of Registration Certificate u/s 51/ 52 of Persons Disabilities (Equal Opportunities Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act (PWD Act), 1995.
A copy Registration Certificate under Societies Registration Act, 1860 and their branches, if any, separately, or Charitable Trust Act.
A copy of Rules. Aims and Objectives of the Organization.
A copy of Certified Audited Accounts and Annual Report for the last Year.
Names of the Members of Management Committees of the Organisation.
List of identified beneficiaries and types of aids/ appliances required by the organisation for supplying / getting to the identified beneficiaries.
Estimated expenditure for distribution/ fitting of aids/ appliances amongst the identified beneficiaries.
And Undertaking that the funds will not be utilized for any other purposes.
An Undertaking to maintain a separate account of the funds received from the Ministry under the scheme.
The implementing Agencies already receiving grant-in-aid under the Scheme should also furnish the list of beneficiaries assisted from the grant-in-aid released to them in the previous year as per Performa given in Annexure- V may be given.
A calendar of activities for entire financial year including probable dates for holding caps etc. for distribution of aids/ appliances and also maintain separate account for that.
An Undertaking that the organisation will provide post – distribution care to the beneficiaries as well as aids/ appliances, on demand.

m. Organisation should be financially should ad viable and has requisite capability to mobilize the resources.

The organisation shall have working rapport with the District available with District Administration for identification of aids/ appliances.
The implementing agencies shall keep manuals/ literature on main features, maintenance and upkeep of devices, one year free maintenance would be provided by them for assistive devices 2% of the annual allocation will be earmarked for monitoring and evaluation of expenses.
The organisation will provide reservation to SC/ST/OBC and disabled persons in accordance with instructions issued by GOI from time to time if it employees more than 20 persons on a regular basis.

10. RECOMMENDATION

The State Government/UT Administration/ National Institute/RRTC/DRC/any other agency authorized by the Ministry should send its recommendation with specific remarks about.

i) Professional competence, credibility, integrity and existing infrastructural facilities for satisfactory implementation of the Scheme by the NGO/organisation.

ii) Eligibility of the organisation as laid down by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

iii) Rapport with target groups, capacity and willingness to network with other NGOs and Panchayati Raj institution etc.

The recommendation should also include whether the NGOs is getting grant-in-aid from other Ministry/ State Government etc. for the same purpose.

However, no recommendation is required in case of National Institute and ALIMCO working under the administrative control of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

11. QUATUM OF ASSISTANC3E TO AN IMIPLEMENTING AGENCY.

No ceiling should be imposed on the quantum of assistance to be released to an Implementing Agency and it branches (separately) during a particular financial year However, while deciding on the amount of grant to be given, the performance, professional expertise, capacity, tack record and outreach capabilities of the agency shall be kept in view.

12. SANCTION / RELEASE OF GRANT-IN-AID

The Implementing Agencies will be sanctioned grant-in-aid in particular financial year after receiving recommendation from State Government/ UT Administration/ National Institute/ RRTC/ DRC/ an other agency authorized by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The subsequent financial a assistance would be sanctioned after receipt of audited accounts and list of beneficiaries with their permanent addresses in the prescribed poroma for the previous year’s grant shall be furnished before the end of second quarter of each financial year, positively.

The recommending authority should create the field agencies who shall strive to conduct sample checking of beneficiaries regarding utilization of grant-in-aid by NGOs and distribution of aids and appliances by the Implementing Agency. The sample checking of beneficiaries regarding utilization of grant –in- aid by NGOs and distribution of aids and appliances by the Implementing Agencies. The sample checking would cover at least 5 to 10 percent of the beneficiaries, which are covered under the Scheme in the previous year.

The grant-in-aid would normally be released in tow instalment after process of audited accounts and list of beneficiaries furnished by the organisation/ implementing Agency to the satisfaction of the Ministry.

13. CONDITIONS FOR ASSISTANCE.

i. The implementing agency will be fully competent to satisfy about the monthly income of the beneficiaries and shall obtain a certificate from the concerned competent authority. The identification of the beneficiaries has to be done by an expert in accordance with guidelines issued by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in this regard

ii. The implementing agency will maintain a register in the prescribed performa ( Annexure-III) about the beneficiaries assisted under the Scheme.

The implementing agency shall maintain a separate accounts of funds received and utilized from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Scheme. The fund should be kept in separate bank account to be operated under ADIP Scheme.
A certificate from the Head of the Implementing Agency to the effect that the funds have been utilized. A list of beneficiaries as per proforma given in Annexure- IV assisted by the organisation that the funds given by the Ministry will be furnished along with the yearly application as per procedure indicated in para 9 in CD in Excel programme.
The final accounts for a financial year will be rendered through utilization certificate and audited accounts signed by chartered accountant within six months of the close of the financial year.
The agency implementing the scheme will obtain an undertaking from the beneficiary that he/ she has not obtained such aid from any other agency/ source during last tow years ad that he/ she not obtained such aid from any other agency/ source during last three years and that he/ she will keep it for his/ her bona fide use.
The agency implementing the scheme will be open to inspection by an officer/ agency authorized by Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment or the State Government / UT/ Administrative / National Institute/ DRCs etc.
When the Government of India has reasons to believe that the sanction is not being utilized for the approval purpose the amount would be recovered from the implementing agency with interest and no further assistance would be given to the agency.
The quantum of assistance to be given to an implementing agency during a particular year will be decided by the Government of India. The implementing agencies would, therefore, not incur any liability under the Scheme unless the funds have been sanctioned to them fort the purpose.
At least 25% beneficiaries should be girl child/ women.

Annexure-I

Application for Central Scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/ Fitting of Aids/ Appliances.

From Date:

The Secretary to the Government of India,

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment,

Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi

Subject:- Assistance under the Central Scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/ fitting of aids/appliances.

I submit herewith an application for a grant for the year under the Scheme of Assistance to Disabled persons for purchase/fitting of aids/appliances. I certify that I grant is given. Should the Institutions/ Organisation cease to exist at any time, such properties shall revert to the Government of India.

(a) All assets acquired wholly or substantially out of the Central grant shall not be encumbered or disposed off or utilized for purpose other tan those for which the grant is given. Should the Institutions/ Organisation cease to exist at any time, such properties shall revert to the Government of India.

(b) The accounts of the project shall be properly and separately maintained. They shall always be open to check by an officer deputed by the Govt. of India or the State Government of India at his discretion.

(c) If the State or the Central Govt. have reasons to believe that the grant is not being utilized for approved purpose, the Govt. of India may stop payment of further Instalments and recover earlier grants in such a manner as they may decide.

(d) The Institution shall exercise reasonable economy in the implementation of the scheme.

(e) The Organisation will obtain an undertaking from the beneficiaries as required under the scheme, before fitting/ giving of aids/ appliances.

Yours faithfully,

(Signature)
(Designation)
(Office Stamp)

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

Name of the Scheme

1. Organisation

Name

Address (office) :

(Project) :

Phone (office) :

(Project) :

Fax (office) :

(Project) :

Telex (office) :

(Project) :

E-mail (office) :

(Project) :

Grams (office) :

(Project) :

2. (i) Name of the Act :

Under which registered :

(ii) Registration No. and :

Date of Registration :

Any other Organisation/ Institute :

Body, if applicable, give details

3. Registration under Foreign : (Yes/ No)

Contribution Act

4. Memorandum of Association :

And Bye-Laws.

5. Name & Address of the :

Members of the Board of

Management/ Governing

Body

6. List of Documents to be attached :

(a) A copy of the Annual Report

For the previous year which

Should contain the balance sheet (including receipt and payment account ), income and Expenditure Account.

7. Details of the project for which the :

Grant-in-aid is being applied.

8. Grant-in-aid applied for in :

the current year.

9. Details of beneficiaries .

(a) Number of disabled benefited :

From previous years grant.

(b) Proposed number of disabled :

Expected to be covered during

Current financial year.

10. Details of the staff available :

Details of GIA received under other Schemes of

State Govt…………………………….

Central Govt………………………..

Other sources…………………….

Programme / Project run grant-in-aid received Total Location of the

By the NGO (other than amount service Expenditure Project

The one applied for ) agency on the

Projects.

13. List of Additional Papers.

(if any given)

I have read the scheme ad fulfil the requirement and conditions of the scheme. I undertake to abide by all the condition of the Scheme.

Signature ………………………………..

Name…………………………………

Address……………………………

……………………………………..

Date……………………………..

(Seal)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note: Wherever not applicable, specially in case of new Organisation, please write – N.A.

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT.

Name of the Scheme:

1. APPLICATION FORM FOR THE IIND INSTALLEMMENT

1. Organisation

Name

Address (office) :

(Project) :

Phone (office) :

(Project) :

Fax (office) :

(Project) :

Telex (office) :

(Project) :

E-mail (office) :

(Project) :

Grams (office) :

(Project)

2. Grant-in-aid(in. Rs.)

Total

A. Applied in the current year :

B. Received as Ist Instalment :

C. Applied for IInd Instalment :

3. Annual Report of the previous year.

ii) Audited statement of accounts of previous year ( Receipts and Payments statement, Income & Expenditure Statement) and Balance sheet.

iii) Audited utilization certificate with itemise expenditure as per the sanctioned items of grant.

iv) Details of staff available.

v) Details of beneficiaries as per Annexure IV

vi) Assets acquired wholly or substantially out of government grants under GFR 19

vii) An other information considered necessary b the organisation of a asked for:

Signature ………………………………..

Name…………………………………

Address……………………………

……………………………………..

Date………………………

(Seal)

Annexure- III

Register to be maintained by the agencies implementing the Scheme Assistance to Disabled for purchase/fitting of Aids/ Appliances.

Sr.No	Name of beneficiaries	Address	Male/ female	Age	Income	Type of aid(given)	Date on which given	Cost of Aid
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Fabricating/ Fitment charges	Total cost of Aid	Subsidy provided	Travel cost paid to outstation beneficiaries	Board and expenses paid	Whether any surgical correction undertaken	Total 12+13+14+15
10	11	12	13	14	15	16

No. of days for which stayed	Signature of Beneficiary	Whether Accompanied by escort
17	18	19

Annexure- IV

List of beneficiaries assisted by the agencies implementing the Scheme of Assistance to Disabled for purchase/fitting of Aids/ Appliances to be furnished to Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

Sr.No	Name of beneficiaries	Address	Male/ female	Age	Income	Type of aid (given)	Date on which given	Cost of Aid
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Fabricating/ Fitment charges	Total cost of Aid	Subsidy provided	Travel cost paid to outstation beneficiaries	Board and expenses paid	Whether any surgical correction undertaken	Total 12+13+14+15
10	11	12	13	14	15	16

No. of days for which stayed	Whether Accompanied by escort
17	18

To be accompanied by certificate from Rehabilitation Professional / Physically for every case.

Annexure- V

Scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/ Fitting of Aids/ Appliances.

UTILISATION CERTIFICATE.

(See Government of India’s Decision (1) below Rule 150 )

Sr.No	Letter number and date	Amount.

Certified that out of Rs. ................................. /- of grant-in-aid sanctioned during the year ...................................................in favour of ................................................ NO. given in the margin and Rs. / on account of unspent balance of the pervious year, a sum of Rs. ....................................../ has been utilized for the purpose of ............................................................... for which it was it was sanctioned and that the balance of Rs. ................................................................/ remaining unutilized at the end of the year has been surrendered to Government (vide NO............................................... dated will be adjusted towards the grant-in-aid payable during the next year.

2. Certified that I have satisfied myself that the conditions on which the grant-in-aid was sanctioned have been duly fulfilled/ are being fulfilled and that I have exercised the following checks to see that the money was actually utilized for the purpose for which it was sanctioned.

Kinds of checks exercised

Duly certified by a Chartered Signature.........................

Accountant/ Auditor

Designation.....................

Date..............................

Annexure- VI

SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED PERSONS FOR PURCHASE/ FITTING OF AIDS/ APPLIANCES

(ADIP SCHEME)

STATEMENT SHOWING COMPOSITION OF THE MANAGING COMMITTEE.

NAME AND POSTAL ADDRESS THE

ORGANIZATION______________________________________________________________

Sr.No.	Name of the Member of the Managing Committee	S/o D/o W/o	Complete residential address	Nature of occupation	Status in the Managing Committee
1	2	3	4	5	6

Note: (i) Certified that the composition of the above Managing Committee is in accordance with the approved Bye Laws and Memorandum of Association of the organization.

(i) Certified that the above Managing Committee was elected by the General Body in its meeting held on .................................................................The life of the Committee is form .............................................. to................................................

Signature

Name of President/ Secretary (in capital letters)

Office stamp of the Organisation

HARYANA GOVERNMENT

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT

NOTIFICATION

Dated Chandigarh 30-1-2009

No. 2351-SW(4)-2008: The Governor of Haryana is pleased to make the following scheme namely “Financial Assistance to the Non-School Going Disabled Children Scheme” which will come into force with effect from 1.12.2008 .This scheme incorporating the amendments made from time to time and shall be applicable throughout the State of Haryana .

DEFINITIONS

The Mentally Retarded Children who suffer from following conditions :-

1) Mental Retardation with I.Q. not exceeding 35.

2. AIM:-

Presently Haryana Govt. is providing Financial Assistance in the form of scholarship to such disabled children of state who are below 18 years of age and are getting formal education in different schools, colleges, technical institutions and universities etc. and those disabled persons who are above 18 years of age are being provided financial assistance in the form of Handicapped Pension

But there are some mentally retarded children in the age group of 0 to 18 years who are in the category of Profound & Severely retardation, who are not able to attend formal education, training etc. due to their disability. They are totally dependent on their parents or relatives and need constant supervision and care of their families. Some of them require nursery care also. These children because of their severity of M.R. are looked down upon in society and are also forced to live in deplorable and humiliating environment. Their Parents also some time find it difficult to look after them properly either due to financial difficulties or otherwise. Therefore it is felt imminent that in order to boost the morale of these children as well as provide support to their parents some financial assistance should be given to them for their welfare and respectful up bringing. Keeping this in view a scheme named “Financial Assistance to the Non- School going disabled Children” is conceived aiming at to providing financial assistance to such parents who cannot send them for formal schooling and boarding of their disabled wards in the age group of below 18 years because of financial constraints or because of the returns of their Mental Retardation.

3. ELIGIBILITY:- Eligibility conditions are as follows:-

( i ) A person having physical disability in the age-group of below 18 years shall be eligible for grant of Assistance.

(ii) The applicant should be a domicile of Haryana State and should be residing in Haryana State for the last three years at the time of submission of application. He /She will have to submit domicile proof for this purpose issued by the competent authority.

(iii) The applicant’s close relatives and parents are not in a financial position to support him/ her and the income of his/ her parents, close relatives or his/ her own income from all sources is less than the income as prescribed under the Minimum Wages Act, i.e. Rs. 3510/- p.m.as in 2008. He/She will have to submit proof of income verified by the competent authority.

(iv) The assistance would not be given to such children who are already receiving assistance under the Scholarship, Unemployment Allowance and Handicapped Pension Schemes being implemented by the Social Justice& Empowerment Department, Haryana.

(v) The applicant should have the following disabilities:-(a) Mental Retardation with I.Q not exceeding 35.

Medical Certificate duly issued by the Civil Surgeon will have to be produced for (i) to (v) above.

(b) The applicant shall submit proof regarding age of the ward/child in the form of:

(i) Birth Certificate issued by the Registrar of Births & Death; or

( ii) Affidavit by the applicant attested from the First Class Magistrate; or

( iii) A certificate from any Gazetted Officer of the State/.Central Govt.

4. CONSTITUTION OF COMMITTEE FOR SCRUTINY :

(a) Committees will be constituted for scrutinizing the eligibility for grant of financial assistance in the rural and urban areas. In the rural areas, the Committee will consist of District Social Welfare Officer or his representative, Circle Revenue Officer and Medical Officer of Health Department. In the urban areas, the Committee will consist of Officer In charge of the Municipal Committee or the Executive Officer or the Secretary of Municipal Committee and District Social Welfare Officer or his representative and a Medical Officer of Health Department.

5. SUPERVISION & COORDINATION COMMITTEE :

A District Level Committee comprising of Civil Surgeon as a Member, District Social Welfare Officer as Member Secretary and Deputy Commissioner of the District or his representative as Chairman will be constituted, for overall supervision, coordination and implementation of the Scheme in the District . District Social Welfare Officer will be the convener of the Committee. It will meet once every quarter to review the performance of the scheme.

6. VERIFICATION:-

(i) During its visit to the village/ ward for the purpose of verification of fresh applicants Committee for Scrutiny may also ensure that no beneficiary eligible for assistance is left-out. For this purpose, all the beneficiaries will be required to present themselves before the Committee. Assistance to those persons who fail to present themselves before the Committee will not be considered. Financial Assistance will be sanctioned by the concerned District Social Welfare Officer on the recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee.

(ii) In those cases where Committee comes to a definite conclusion that beneficiary is no longer eligible for assistance, the Committee will recommend to terminate the assistance of such beneficiaries and will send intimation to District Social Welfare Officer of such termination, for further necessary action. However, the committee shall exercise reasonable judgment to decide these cases. The District Social Welfare Officer shall intimate the fact of termination of assistance to the beneficiary. An appeal shall lie, within 3 months from the intimation of such termination to the District Level Committee against such termination of assistance. The decision of the District Level Committee shall be final and will not be subjected to any further investigation./ appeal.

(iii) In those cases where the beneficiary has not presented himself/ herself before the Committee at the time of disbursement for two consecutive months and the Committee suspects the eligibility of a beneficiary, the Committee may recommend to District Social Welfare Officer to stop the further disbursement of assistance to such beneficiary. District Social Welfare Officer shall issue a notice to the beneficiary asking him/ her to show cause why his/ her assistance should not be terminated. If the beneficiary fails to satisfy the District Social Welfare Officer regarding his/ her continued eligibility of assistance, An appeal shall lie, within 3 month from the intimation of such termination to the District Level Committee against such termination of assistance. Otherwise, the assistance shall be resumed after the beneficiary satisfies the District Social Welfare Officer about his/ her eligibility for assistance.

(iv) Initially verification will be done village wise by the Committee for scrutiny. However, special verification may be done in case of complaints or as per decision of the Govt. from time to time.

7. MODE OF PAYMENT:-

(a) Assistance shall be disbursed through the Panchayati Raj under the supervision of Block Development and Panchayat Officer or by any other means of payment to be decided by the Government from time to time. The financial assistance shall become payable from the 1^st day of the month in which it is sanctioned.

(b) The periodicity of payment of assistance shall be decided by Director, Social Justice and Empowerment from time to time.

(c) No further payment shall be made if the acknowledgement of disbursement/payment has not been received for two consecutive instalments.

(d) The assistance which have remained unpaid for two consecutive instalments or more shall be enquired into by the concerned District Social Welfare Officer who will take necessary action in this regard. Payees acknowledgement shall be recorded and kept under lock and key by the District Social Welfare Officer till the accounts have been audited by Accountant General, Haryana.

(e) Handling cash payment to the disbursing officials shall be made, as far as possible, through bank drafts issued in favor of them.

(f) All the un disbursed amount shall be received by the District Social Welfare Officer concerned. A proper record of such amounts shall be kept in a separate register. The undisguised amount received back shall be taken in the cash book and the entire amount thus received shall be refundable by short drawl from subsequent assistance bill.

(g) The Director Social Justice and Empowerment Haryana shall be over-all in charge of the “Financial Assistance to the Non-School Going Disabled Children Scheme” and necessary instructions in regard for proper enforcement and accounting procedure shall be issued by him/her from time to time.

Note: The payment of financial assistance shall be made to the parent /guardian of the disabled child who applies for the financial assistance in respect of his/ her children/wards and not direct to the children.

8. PROCEDURE FOR MAKING APPLICATION:

The application for Financial Assistance shall be submitted in the prescribed form which would be available with the District Social Welfare Officer or Director Social Justice & Empowerment Department, Haryana Chandigarh free of cost and can be submitted to the respective District Social Welfare Officer up to 10^th day of every month.

9. RATE OF ASSISTANCE :

Financial assistance shall be admissible under the scheme at the rate of Rs. 300/- per month to every disabled child in the family of the applicant. Every non school going disabled child in a single family would be eligible for this assistance. Government will have the right to change the rate of assistance from time to time.

POWER OF SANCTION :

The District Social Welfare Officer dealing with the scheme shall be the sanctioning authority who shall pass orders on each case on the basis of the spot verification conducted by the Committee for scrutiny or in case of complaint etc. Investigation Officer or any other official deputed for the purpose by the sanctioning authority. The decision of the Director Social Justice and Empowerment shall be final. The order passed by District Social Welfare Officer in each case shall be communicated to the applicant and the Accountant General, Haryana, Chandigarh.
11. STOPPAGE OF ASSISTANCE :

(i) Assistance shall be payable from the date of sanction till the beneficiary completes the age of 18 years. However the District Social Welfare Officer shall have the right to stop payment of assistance, if at any stage it is found that it was sanctioned on a wrong ground or false information or the condition for which the assistance was granted no longer existed..

(ii) Assistance shall cease to be payable on the death of a beneficiary and if the grantee dies before receiving assistance for a particular period, the same shall also lapse.

(iii) In case assistance is sanctioned on the basis of wrong information given by the applicant in his /her application form, the amount given would be recovered as arrears of land revenue .In case of deliberate wrong information the beneficiary shall be liable for prosecution .

(iv) Assistance under this scheme shall not be liable to attachment under any court of law.

(v) After attaining the age of 18 years, the beneficiary should automatically become eligible for handicapped pension.

12 PUBLICITY:

Wide publicity measures will be adopted by way of publishing public notices and display advertisements in the leading newspapers, printing of folders and pamphlets, public notices at all District Social Welfare Offices and similar other public places, advertisement through District Public Relation Officers and by way of Munadi in the Rural and Urban areas.

13 IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING: -

One Post of Investigator in each District/ Headquarter shall be created on contract basis for best Implementation and Monitoring of scheme.

14 BUDGET HEAD.

2235- Social Security & Welfare-02- Social Welfare 101-Welfare of Handicapped –Part I-State Plan Schemes (72) Financial Assistance to non-school going disabled children 09-Grant-in-Aid (New Scheme Plan 2008-09

Chandigarh dated NAVRAJ SANDHU

4^th December,2008 Commissioner & Secretary to Government. Haryana,

Social Justice & Empowerment Department

Endst.No.2351-SW(4)-2008 Chandigarh dated the30-1-2009

A copy is forwarded to the controller, Printing and stationery Department Haryana Chandigarh for publishing in the Haryana Govt. Gazette 150 spare copies may please be supplied to the undersigned at the earlier.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary

for Commissioner & Secretary to Government. Haryana

Social Justice & Empowerment Department.

Endst.No. 2351-SW(4)-2008 Chandigarh dated the 30-1-2009

A copy is forwarded to the following for information and necessary action:-

Director] Social Justice & Empowerment, Haryana.
1. Accountant General] Haryana ( A & E Audit )] Chandigarh.
2. All Deputy Commissioners in the Haryana State.
3. All District Social Welfare Officers in the Haryana State.
4. All District Welfare Officers in the Haryana State.

Sd/-

Joint Secretary

for Commissioner & Secretary to Government. Haryana

Social Justice & Empowerment Department.

A copy is forwarded to the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to the Govt. of Haryana, Finance Department with reference to his U.O.No. 1/80//2008-3FG-11/2272 dated 3-12-2008.

The Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary

to Govt. Haryana, Finance Department.

U.O.No 2351-SW(4)-2008 Chandigarh dated 30-1-2009

HARYANA GOVERNMENT

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT

NOTIFICATION

The 30th October, 2009

No. 1953-SW(4)-2009-In partial modification of Haryana Government, Social Justice & Empowerment Department, Notification No. 2351-SW(4) 2008, dated 30th January, 2009, the Governor of Haryana is pleased to make the following amendments shall come into operation with immediate effect.

1. Sub Para (IV) of Para 3 of the Scheme is omitted.

2. In said scheme sub point (a) of sub para (V) of Para 3 is substituted under:-

(i) Mental Retardation with I.Q. not exceeding 50 or percentage of disability is 70% and above.

(ii) Persons with cerebral palsy.

(iii) Persons with Autism.

(iv) Multiple disability with a total permanent disability of 705 or more disabilities as defined in clause (i) of Section 2 of the persons with Disabilities, Protection or Rights and Full participation) Act, 1995 (\1 of 1996).

(v) Case of orthopaedic Disability with a permanent disability of 100% which are further clarified as under.

(i) Myhopathy

(ii) Paraplegic

(iii) Quadri Plegia.

2. Budget Head

2235-Social Security & Welfare-020- Social Welfare 101-Welfare of Handicapped-part I State Plan Schemes (72) Financial Assistance to non-school going disabled children 09-Grant-in-aid (New Scheme Plan 2009-10).

Sd/-

Chandigarh: Navraj Sandhu,

The 25th August, 2009 Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to Govt. Haryana, Social Justice & Empowerment Department.

SCHEME OF DEPLOYMENT OF CAREGIVERS

Introduction & Objectives

It has often been seen that persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities require constant and life long care of their persons. Care giving families have reported that with the increasing age of the child with disability as well as with the increasing age of the primary care givers, particularly the mother, providing care becomes more stressful, more demanding, labour intensive, costly and tiring. Although there are no reliable statistics to determine the population of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities, it is generally known that those families that have amongst themselves any person having any of the above disabilities go through tremendous physical and financial strains throughout the life of the affected persons. Very often the families do not wish to institutionalize their disabled members not merely because cost of institutionalization is beyond their economic means but also because there is an emotional binding which dictates the decision to retain the disabled family member. The object of the National Trust for the welfare of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities Act, 1999 is to empower families to retain their disabled members within the family and the community.

As the families are often reluctant and/or do not have the financial means for sending a person to an institution of any type, there is a need to bring relief to such families by providing caregivers services, which may be hired. National Trust has formulated a scheme for training of caregivers and setting up of a cell by6 trained caregivers, which will provide services by changing parents. As all the parents will not be able to pay, it proposed to provide free services to BPL families. The caregivers can change from the APL families. Therefore, the Haryana State has formulated a scheme of Deployment of caregivers. This scheme also takes care of career prospects and career progression of caregivers, effective arrangement for deployment after training & to provide incentive to make care giving as a preferred career. The scheme will be implemented in the group form i.e. Group Care Centre within their locality so that they can avail these services nearest to their home.

B. Training of Caregivers

The National Trust has given training to 68 caregivers in the State. In future, training programme for caregivers will be tied up with the National Trust on need base. The training programmes will be conducted on the basis of training module prescribed by the National Trust. The cost of training and setting up of a cell of caregivers will be met by National Trust. The financial assistance will be give to caregivers NGOs.

C. Coverage of the Scheme

In the first phase this Scheme will be implemented in the selected districts i.e. Rohtak, Sonepat, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Karnal and Faridabad in the State. Gradually, the Scheme may be expanded in other districts on the availability of the funds.

D. Financial Implications of the Scheme

Basically, the Scheme will cover BPL PwD beneficiaries without charging any user’s fees but APL PwD cases may be included in this scheme and for this they will have to pay Rs. 100/- per month as user’s fees. The Scheme will be implemented on group basis and the ratio of BPL PwD & APL PwD will be 5:3. In first phase such ten Group Care Centres will be established. These Centres will be set up through District Red Cross Societies or reputed NGO working in the field of mental retardation. Each Group Care Centre will be run by trained caregiver. Who will be given Rs. 2000/- and Rs. 500/- for every BPL MR child. Minimum number of children 5 and maximum 8. If there are none then. One additional caregiver can be given.( Timing 9 A.M. to 5.00 P.M.).

E. Break-up of Annual Budget for 10 Group Care Centres

Recurring Expenses:

(a) Honorarium to caregivers

@ Rs. 5,000/- per caregivers p.m.- Rs.5,000/- X10X12 = Rs.6,00,000/-

(b) Visit charges of Speech -Rs.250/- X10X24 =Rs. 60,000/- Occupational/PhysioTherapist/Doctors(2 visits per Month @ Rs.250/- per visit)

@ Rs.300/- p.m

(d) One Assistant for Monitoring at Headquarter of Social Justice & Empowerment Haryana.

Non-recurring Expenses ( one time in 5 years )

Furniture (2 chairs, one table, - Rs. 25,000/- X 10 = Rs.2,50,000/-

one almirah ,one dari), play/learning materials, Daily Living Activity material etc.)

The user’s fees received from APL PWD will be utilized for these Group Care Centres on cultural, games and competitive activities etc. of persons with disabilities.

F. Accommodation for Group Care Centre

The rent free accommodation will be provided by Gram Panchayat /Local Bodies of the concerned village/town/city.

Eligibility

(a) The beneficiary i.e. person with disability under National Trust Act should be a domicile of Haryana State & should be residing in Haryana for the last 3 years at the time of submission of application.

(b) The PWD should be the age of below 18 years or have severe disability.

H. Implementing Agency

The District Red Cross Branch of the concerned district or reputed NGO will be the implementing agency which will be selected by the Director, Social Justice & Empowerment Department, Haryana.

I. Release of Funds

The NGO will apply for annual funds to the Director, Social Justice & Empowerment Department, Haryana and the department will release the funds to the concerned NGO in the form of grant-in-aid.

J. Physical & Financial Report

The NGO will submit the physical & financial report quarterly to the Director, Social Justice & Empowerment Department, Haryana. In the end of financial year, income and expenditure statement along with utilization certificate duly issued by the Chartered Accountant will be submitted to the department.

K. Monitoring of the Scheme.

A Nodal Officer will be appointed by the department who will be the authority to monitor the scheme and he/she will be competent to inspect and forward the proposal for grant-in-aid under this Scheme.

*******

Funding to Local Level Committee

Under the local Level Committee, presently. We are providing Rs. 10,000 per annum for the various activities which includes awareness generation, appointment of Guardians, sensitization of NGOs, etc. Now, it is proposed to increase the amount of Rs. 50,000 with the help of State Government so that activities of the LLC Can be increased with additional financial grants for publicity material, provision for appoi8ntment of staff, organizing sensitization public relation activities, as there are number of districts in our country that we are proposing to support, existing LLC as well, to cover the remaining districts of the country which is having large number.

Out of this Rs. 50,000, Rs 10,000 is already given by the National Trust and for the additional Rs. 40,000 we except Rs. 20,000 matching contribution from the State Government so that the balance amount of Rs. 20,000 can be borne by National Trust.

The tentative budget head/ break- up of budget is given below:

(a) Printing of awareness material Rs. 12,000.00

(b) Appointment of contractual staff @ Rs. 250

Per week, 2 days a week Rs. 12,000.00

(d) Awareness/ sensitization/ publicity/ activities Rs. 12,000.00

(e) Contingency (includes monitoring of legal Guardians)Rs. 2,000.00

(f) Vocational/job oriented training/training For self- Rs. 10,000.00

Employment ____________

Rs. 50,000.00

Whether is only one district in the UT, the annual expenditure for the UT share would be Rs. 20000=20,000/- per annum which will take the scheme long way.

NIRAMAYA

(A Health Insurance Scheme for the Welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities)

The National Trust for the welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities has introduced a Health Insurance Scheme with the collaboration with ICICI Lombard called “Niramaya” for above four disabilities. The details of the Scheme are as under:

OBJECTIVE

To provide affordable Health Insurance to Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation & Multiple Disabilities.
To encourage health services seeking behavior among persons with disability.
to improve the general health condition & quality of life of persons with disability.

SCHEME & ITS COVERAGE

The scheme envisages to deliver ‘Community based’ cover which will

Have a single premium across age band
Provide same coverage irrespective of the type of disability
Insurance cover upto 1.0 lakh Rs. and
All persons with disabilities will be eligible and included and there will be no ‘selection’

The Scheme further envisages that there shall be

No exclusion of Pre-existing condition
Same cover as that for other persons
Services ranging from regular Medical Checkup to Hospitalization. Therapy to Corrective Surgery, Transportation
Conditions requiring repetitive medical intervention as an in-patient
Pre & Post hospitalization expenses, subject to limits.
No pre-insurance medical tests
Cashless settlements only
Smart/Biometric cards with not only health data but also provision for other (Micro) financial data

The details of services with financial limits are as given in Annexure-‘A’. The scheme is extended in all the districts of the country (except J&K)

ENROLMENT OF BENEFICIARIES

All the registered organizations of National Trust are engaged in enrolment of beneficiaries. A sample enrolment form is enclosed in Annexure-B. The same is available in the web site of National Trust (nationaltrust.org.in) also.

ENPANELLMENT OF HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS

Under the scheme, health services will be provided by a network of hospital, nursing homes which will be duly empanelled for the scheme. Such service provider shall be of good quality fulfilling relevant requirements of the scheme.

PREMIUM & STOP LOSS

The premium amount is Rs.99/-per year for persons with income upto Rs.15,000/-p.m.which is paid by National Trust Others have to deposited Rs.250/- as processing fee. Details of the payment procedure is given in the enrolment form. In case of total claims exceeding the total premium amount, the Insurance Company will cover the risk up to 120% of the total premium amount i.e. the insurance company can have a stop loss at 120% of total premium amount. Similarly in case of claims falling short of total premium amount , the Insurance company shall pay back 90% of the savings, after deducting 20% as administrative cost.

IMPLEMENTATION

The Nodal Agency for implementation of the scheme is M/S Alegion Insurance Broking Ltd., 117, St. EBBA’S Avenue, P.S. Sivasamy Salai, Millipore, Chennai, Ph.No.9789982257, 9789982242.

The Scheme will be implemented through NGO member of LLC of concerned District. The NGO will enroll the beneficiaries and keep the records of the beneficiaries.

The beneficiary should be a domicile of Haryana State and should be residing in Haryana State for the last three years at the time of submission of application. He/She will have to submit domicile proof for this purpose issued by the competent authority.

ANNEXURE-A
INSURANCE BENEFITS HEALTH
List of Benefits (including pre-existing conditions) Limits (Rs.)

1	Cashless Hospitalization	100000
2	Domiciliary Hospitalization including Nursing charges	20000
3	Corrective Surgeries for existing disability including congenital disability	50000
4	Surgery to prevent further aggravation of disability	15000
5	Post operative care including Therapies for 6 months	15000
6	OPD Services (consultation and medicines) for all ailments and diseases.	10000
7	Regular Medical checkup for non-ailing Disabled.(Per Year)	10000
8	Pathology, Radiology, Advance tests for Diagnosis of illnesses and monitoring disability	7500
9	Ongoing Therapies to reduce impact of disability and disability related complications.	7500
10	Dental-Preventive Dentistry	7500
11	Transport charges for seeking medical services	1500
12	Alternative Medicine	2000

NIRAMAYA

ANNEXURE - B

(Health Insurance Scheme for Persons with Disabilities under the National Trust Act)

ENROLLMENT FORM

Name of Person with Disability (PWD) Passport photo

Father’s / Husband’s Name
(i) Age (ii) Sex (iii) Status : Married/Unmarried
Educational Qualifications
Type of Disability Tick here Percentage

a) Autism

b) Cerebral Palsy

c) Mental Retardation

d) Multiple Disabilities

please specify disabilities

Name of legal guardian, if any and relationship with PWD
Address of PWD for correspondence

PIN Phone email

Family Income of PWD /Parent
If family income above 15000 pm, details of amount

paid by the PWD to National Trust (Niramaya) Bank

Account (State Bank of India A/c 30396764585)*

10 Disability & Income verified & found correct.

(Signature & seal of LLC-NGO member)

11. Name & Designation of the authorized person of the NGO forwarding this enrollment form

Name of the NGO
Place Date Signature of the authorized person

Note:

Persons having family income of Rs.15,000/- p.m. are covered free under the scheme. For others a processing fee of Rs. 250/- to be deposited in savings Account No. 30396764585 in State Bank of India in favour of National Trust (Niramaya) and bank deposit receipt should be affixed as proof of payment along with the enrolment form.
This form can be submitted, till the enrollment process is continuing, to any registered organization of National Trust (list in the web site www.nationaltrust.org.in) in the district or to the registered office of ALEGION Insurance Broking Ltd., 117, St. Ebba’s Avenue, P.S. Sivasamisalai, Millipore, Chennai- 600 004.
Photocopies of Income Certificate, Disability Certificate & Address proof should be attached.
In case of any difficulty in getting the income certificate and /or disability certificate, the same may be obtained from the NGO member of Local Level Committee (LLC) of the district (LLC in case of Jabalpur) (list in the web site www.nationaltrust.org.in) who are authorized to issue such certificates, only for the purpose of this scheme.
Alternatively, income & disability details furnished on the form should be countersigned by the LLC NGO member (LLC in case of Jabalpur)
After submission of enrollment form, it will take around two months to process & distribute Health Card, if approved. Applicants are advised to check up with the NGO concerned where forms were submitted on 10^th/25^th of every month giving two month clear time for processing.

Benefits under the scheme can be availed by showing the health card at empanelled hospitals/health centres on cashless basis anywhere in India. At other places, benefits can be availed on reimbursement basis only.

Subject To implement GHARAUNDA scheme.

-----

National Trust, New Delhi has forwarded a GHARAUNDA scheme under the National Trust Act, 1999 to implement in the State. Under this scheme facilities of whole life shelter and maintenance will be provided to the Autism, cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities. For setting up/implementation of National Trust will provide Rs. 1.00 crore and the same share will be met by the State Government. State Govt. also provide land for construction of Group Home Centre. National Trust desired acceptance of the State for setting up of these centres. This scheme will be run by the NGOs having vast knowledge/experience in the field of Disabled Welfare and having sound financial position.

Under this scheme the following facilities will be provided to the Disabled Persons:-

Barrier free environment will be provided to the inmates;
Healthy diet and hygienic food will be provided 3 times in a day;
Necessary clothes will be provided free of cost;
Health services will be provided round the clock like as physiotherapy, medical check-up, speech therapy etc.
An accidental insurance policy amounting to Rs.50,000/- for each inmates;
Educational and Vocational Training facilities will also be provided;
Recreational and supports facilities;
Female caretaker will be provided to female inmates separately;
Complete security arrangement.

A memorandum of agreement between the National Trust and care service provider will be signed.

Under this scheme a corpus fund will be set up in which an amount of Rs. 2.00 crore (1.00 crore National Trust & 1.00 crore State Govt.) out of which the expenses relating to building, furniture, boarding-lodging, utensils etc. will be met out. In the initial stage group home measuring approximately 5000 sq.foot covered area will be set up for 40 inmates and for this purpose Rs.50.00 lakh will be met out of the corpus fund. The interest amount accrued on the remaining 1.50 crore rupee (approximate Rs.15.00 lakh) will be utilised for running/providing facilities to the inmates. As per the estimate Rs.4,000/- per month, per inmate purposed to be utilised and in this way Rs.11,52,000/- ¼4000x24x12=11]52]000@&½ annually will be utilised.

Out of the 40 seats 24 seats will be reserved for the beneficiaries belonging to BPL category and remaining 16 seats will be kept as paid seat for the inmates belonging above poverty line category. For this Rs. 9.60 lakh per seat will be charged from the parents/guardians of the inmate.

As regards the availability of land for construction of building it is purposed that land available in the premises of District Rehabilitation Centre, Bhiwani can be utilised for construction of building for the group care centre boys and the land/building available with Mahila Ashram, Rohtak can be utilised for the female group care centre.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/accessibility/resources/information-about-schemes-for-disabled-haryana

Indian Users’ Perspective On WIPO Negotiations On Treaty For Visually Impaired

praskrishna — 2013-02-18T09:07:06Z

South-East Asia is host to one-third of the world’s 39 million blind people. Over 20 million live in India alone. This week’s special session of the World Intellectual Property Organization aims to clean up the text of an international treaty to facilitate access to books for the blind and visually impaired community. It is thus of prime importance for India, and some there worry that issues such as commercial availability could undermine the treaty’s effectiveness.

This blog post by Catherine Saez was published in Intellectual Property Watch on February 16, 2013, Nirmita Narasimhan is quoted.

According to Nirmita Narasimhan, policy director with the Center for Internet and Society, barely five percent of published books in India are available in accessible formats. Visually impaired people struggle to get access to “education, news and entertainment, cultural materials, and employment.”

For instance, she told Intellectual Property Watch “even where there are seats reserved forl the blind in universities, there may not be enough applicants/candidates to fill those seats because of lack of educational resources.”

“Leisure reading and being up to date with the latest bestsellers is of course also a problem because these are unavailable at the time these reach the global market,” she said.

“Until last year, we did not have any fair use exception in our copyright law permitting conversion,” Narasimhan said. The new copyright amendment [pdf], which amended the Indian copyright Act of 1957, was adopted in May 2012 (IPW, Inside Views, 22 January 2013) but “has not yet translated into significant results in terms of accessible books,” Narasimhan said. The amendment allows conversion of books to accessible formats.

There are very limited resources in India, “both in terms of finances as well as manpower to carry out conversion activities, and a demand which far outstrips the supply, hence disability organisations struggle to keep up with the demand for accessible books,” she said, adding that “unlike organisations in other countries, organisations in India do not receive any government support for carrying out funding activities.”

Progress is slow and we still do not have complete access to global online collections such as Bookshare since there is some ambiguity regarding the definition of an ‘accessible format’ in our copyright act. Talking books are not explicitly mentioned in the Act,” she added. “Talking books” refer to books under a Digital Accessible Information SYstem (Daisy) format. The Copyright Amendment Bill of 2012 also does not address import and export, she said.

According to the Daisy Consortium, which includes 20 full members and over 40 associate members, a Daisy book is “a set of digital files” that includes “one or more digital audio files containing a human narration of part or all of the source text, a marked-up file containing some or all of the text (…), a synchronisation file to relate markings in the text file with time points in the audio file, and a navigation control file which enables the user to move smoothly between files while synchronisation between text and audio is maintained.“

“The Daisy Forum of India is an active network of over 85 organisations who are converting into Daisy, but the number of books with them is still significantly lower than those available in other countries,” she said.

“Technological solutions are still by and large unavailable in rural areas,” Narasimhan said. “Hence, while solutions like electronic text are useful in cities, audio or Braille would still be the primary means of reading for the blind in rural India.”

India is also working on a draft Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill. In particular, Article 51 on access to information and communication technology states that measures should be taken so that “all content in whichever medium whether audio, print or electronic shall be

made available to persons with disabilities in accessible format,” and that “persons with disabilities have access to electronic media by providing for audio description, sign language interpretation and close captioning.”

International Treaty of Utmost Importance

“Countries like India could benefit tremendously from access to accessible versions of books in libraries around the world,” according to Narasimhan. “It would dispense with the administrative mechanism of seeking copyright permissions, which would greatly ease the life of disability organisations engaged in conversions.”

A paper, posted on the CIS-India website on 23 January, by Rahul Cherian, founder of Inclusive Planet Centre for Disability Law and Policy, said next week’s session “is probably the last change to sort out the major outstanding issues in the text of the document before the diplomatic conference.”

“One of the most critical issues that remain outstanding is the desire that some government negotiators have to link the use of the treaty provisions or copyright exceptions to commercial unavailability of the work in accessible formats,” he wrote, underlining the “impossibility of verifying commercial availability with any degree of certainty.”

In particular, the linkage between commercial availability and the exceptions appear at two places in the treaty, he said: in Article C (National law limitations and exceptions on accessible format copies) and in Article D (Cross-Border exchange of accessible format copies).

The paper gives the example of the complexity of exception in relation to cross-border exchange. “Imagine that the United Kingdom introduces a provision in their copyright law allowing the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to export accessible format copies to people with visual impairment in Chennai but only after verifying that the accessible format copy cannot be otherwise obtained within a reasonable time and at a reasonable price.”

“Remember that ‘reasonable price’ in India means that the accessible format copy of the work is available at prices that are affordable in that market, taking into account the needs and income disparities of persons who have limited vision and those with print disabilities,” it states.

He questioned how the RNIB based in the UK could even begin to undertake this exercise which would entail several steps such as checking whether the accessible format copy is available in India, understanding the needs and income disparities of those with limited vision and print disabilities, and checking the cost of the accessible format copy and determine whether the cost of the accessible format copy is reasonable.

Linking commercial availability and exceptions as mentioned in Article C, Cherian said, “will lead to countries such as India being put under pressure from the European Union and the United States to amend our Copyright Act and linking our exceptions to commercial availability,” and he added, “the same applies to countries that want to introduce copyright exceptions after the Treaty.”

Rahul Cherian died unexpectedly on 7 February.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/ip-watch-feb-16-2013-catherine-saez-indian-users-perspective-on-wipo-negotiations-on-treaty-for-visually-impaired

Indian Government Websites Not Accessible Enough for the Disabled

Srinivasu Chakravarthula — 2011-11-08T05:50:32Z

Innumerable websites! All are citizen centric. But are they accessible to you? Srinivasu Chakravarthula examines this and stresses that website owners need to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to enable persons with disabilities and the elderly to surf portals more effectively.

Today, there are about 7800 Central and state government websites hosted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). They are all certainly citizen centric – whether it is the Ministry of Finance, banks, the passport authority, educational board, transport, consumer affairs, or the most important website that generates revenue for the government – the Income Tax Department.

However, the question which we need to ask is whether these websites are up-to-date and accessible to everyone? Internet is often more useful to people who are elderly and for people having disabilities.

So what does accessibility really mean? Accessibility is nothing but ensuring that information and functionality is available to all users including people with disabilities. The Accessibility Guidelines identify an accessible website as one which can be perceived, operated, understood and is robust. Today, thanks to the advancement of technology, people with disabilities are able to use computers and perform every task that others do. For example, a visually impaired person uses the screen reader to access the computer; a deaf blind user uses a refreshable Braille display, hearing impaired persons rely on captions to understand the multimedia, learning disabled users rely on image based content and elderly people prefer to see large fonts and so on. In addition, there are lots of features available in the browser itself. For instance, in Firefox, we can increase the font size by using the key combination of CTRL and Plus and can also change the contrast of the page.

Having said that, website owners need to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to enable people with disabilities and the elderly to surf the Web more effectively. In India, the Government of India and the state governments need to follow the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) formulated by NIC.

A brief survey of some 1500 of these websites revealed that barely one per cent of these meet the requirements of the above guidelines. Many of them are not up-to-date and some don’t even reveal their government identity that could actually make users think of authentication.

The websites were checked for their elements and their mark-up; which means, audit was conducted to see text alternatives for non-text elements such as images, videos, buttons, etc. Other criteria were the presence of heading structures, associated labels for form fields, grouping of form elements, keyboard access for navigation, slide shows and other media, links and image maps. The test also checked to see if rich functionality works with keyboard and on text browsers; whether flash content works well with screen readers and documents are verified for accessibility; in addition, websites were checked for the colour contrast.

The methodology used to test the websites was a combination of automated and manual testing. The initial testing was done using the automated evaluation tool WAVE, a Firefox add-on which checked for errors and features, structure, outline of the website, simulation of text version and simulation with no styles. This was followed by a manual check for appropriate text alternatives, heading structure, form labels, colour contrast, etc. The test revealed that most of the websites were not accessible, merely due to the lack of semantic mark up and common errors, some of which are described below:

No text alternatives for images – Without text alternatives, neither screen reader users nor search engines and those who disable display of the images on the browser can perceive information about the image.
No associated labels for form fields – Without associated labels, screen readers will treat the form fields as orphan form fields with no labels and read them as "unlabelled"fields. Hence, it will be impossible for visually impaired users to fill in those forms.
No heading structure defined – This would create an issue both for search engines as well as persons with disabilities. Assistive technologies such as screen readers usually have access keys for users to quickly navigate a page, which rely on the mark-up.
Deprecated Marquee has been used – This is a deprecated element in HTML and ought not be used anymore.
No keyboard functionality for flash content and drop down menus – Without keyboard support, people with mobility limitations and visually impaired or elderly users and those who do not wish to use the mouse cannot perceive the information.
Not enough government identity is present – It is GIGW’s requirement that all government websites should display government’s identity through emblems.
Several websites have poor color contrast – This will prevent people who are elderly and persons with low vision from easily identifying the content of a web page.
Several websites have used table based layouts – This is not the best practice to control the layout; one should use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
Information is cluttered in some well known websites such as that of the Income Tax department – It will be difficult to perceive information easily by people who are elderly, who have low vision, have learning disabilities and those who surf the Web through mobile devices.
Several websites do not have a mechanism to send feedback – It is again a GIGW requirement that every website should have such a mechanism.
There is no mechanism to skip the navigational module – This is an extremely useful feature to help screen readers and keyboard users to skip navigational links and directly access the main content.
No accessibility options such as large text or colour schemes are provided – This would be helpful to less experienced users who are as yet unaware of in-built browser options.
Several forms do not have a mechanism for error handling – It is necessary to inform users about errors before submitting the form.
Several websites do not have appropriate page titles – Page titles help users to know where they are on their computer.
Many websites do not have site map – This is an easy way to have access to all the pages at one place.

Hence, there is a lot to be done to actually enable every citizen to use these citizen centric websites. There are guidelines in place at http://web.guidelines.gov.in and it's time for every ministry to ensure successful implementation and to make their portals accessible to all.

Srinivasu Chakravarthula is an accessibility manager at Yahoo, India and has several years of experience in the field of website accessibility.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/accessibility/blog/govt-websites-not-accessible

India’s missing disabled population

nirmita — 2015-09-10T16:31:49Z

The highest rates of disability are amongst those who are vision-impaired, and those who have problems to do with movement.

The article by Sachin P. Mampatta was published in Livemint on September 7, 2015. Nirmita Narasimhan gave her inputs.

Nirmita Narasimhan remembers the census takers coming to her home. They didn’t ask her question number nine. It was about disability. They said that it makes people uncomfortable.

Narasimhan is a policy director who works on disability issues at The Centre for Internet and Society, an NGO. She insisted that they ask questions on disability. Later, she found out that others too had a similar experience. Those conducting the census often skip the question. Sometimes families are reluctant to talk about it too.

The result is that India has far lower reported instances of disability than most other places in the world. This also means that policy action is effectively running blind, unsure of the scale of the disability issues in the country or its specifics.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in a report in 2011 estimated that 15.3% of the world’s population deals with disability of one kind or the other. The 2011 census puts India’s disabled at 2.21% of the population.

India's low incidence of disability

The average number of disabled people in India is lower than the global figure as well as the number for high income countries. It is also lower than the corresponding figures for low-income and middle-income countries (between and including African to Western Pacific in the chart).

Different categories as percentage of total disability

Disabilities related to movement, hearing and sight are the most common, according to the Census


Above: A bar chart depicting the world population with disability. India is at lowest. Source: Global Burden of Disease estimates for 2004 (World report on disability 2011 - World Health Organisation), Census 2011 Get the data

The latest census number is not very different from that of the 2001 census when the disabled populace was at 2.13% or from the 2002 National Sample Survey figure which estimated this figure at 1.8%. That just points out for how long the problem has been prevalent in official statistics.

The WHO report used statistics from the Global Burden of Disease estimates for 2004 for comparison. But the situation now is likely to be worse. A WHO factsheet says that “rates of disability are increasing in part due to ageing populations and an increase in chronic health conditions”.

Many people don’t disclose disability because of stigma. Global figures also take into account age-related disability, and those whose function is affected by issues such as diabetes. India does not count these among the disabled. Here, the categories are largely traditional such as blindness and deafness. The highest rates of disability are amongst those who are vision-impaired, and those who have problems to do with movement.

Different categories as percentage of total disability

Disabilities related to movement, hearing and sight are the most common, according to the Census.


Above: A bar chart depicting the percentage of various forms of disabilities Source: Census 2011 Get the data

While the scope of definitions is part of the problem, India’s disability estimation problem is not unrecognized.

“In India, the disability sector in general estimates that 4-5% of the population is disabled. The Planning Commission recognizes this figure as 5%. A report by the World Bank states that while estimates vary, there is growing evidence that persons with disability… constitute between 4-8% of India’s population,” said a December 2011 International Labour Organisation report by Meera Shenoy called, “Persons With Disability and the Indian Labour Market: Challenges and Opportunities”.

The lower-than-actual figures have other repercussions. What’s the literacy rate among the disabled, for instance? The census, of course, says that more than 54.51% of India’s disabled population is literate. But policy analysts such as Narasimhan say that may be inflated again because of under-reporting.

“The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan has contributed to getting a lot of children into school, and the thrust has largely been seen over the last decade or so. Unfortunately, many may not be able to continue in school, though they do manage to attend for a couple of years. This may be enough for them to pick up sufficient skills to be declared literate, where the test is generally rudimentary, say the ability to write your own name. But this does not translate into employability. The majority would still not be able to meet basic criteria required for landing a job. The resources required to make this happen is far in excess of the current expenditure,” said Dipendra Manocha, president, founder and managing trustee, Saksham Trust.

Census data shows that 63.66% of the disabled population is not working compared to 60.21% of the able-bodied. But those working in the field say that employability figures are likely very poor on account of limited resources and difficulties in providing them with skills which could lead to employability. While some among these in the census are students or draw a pension, the majority remain dependent on others.

Status of disabled non-workers

The majority of disabled non-workers are dependent on others, and most don't draw a pension. (Figures are as percentage of overall disabled population, those part of the work-force are not included).


Above: Bar chart depicting categories of disabled population. Source: Census 2011 Get the data

The need for greater attention and resources to this segment is clear from the fact that India’s disability numbers, even with the under-reporting, is higher than the population of entire nations.

Scale of the issue

India's disabled population is higher than the total populations of several countries, despite the under-reporting.Figure below shows India's disabled numbers, and total population (disabled + non-disabled) of other countries.


Above: Bar chart depicting India's disabled numbers. Source: Census 2011, World Bank (Figures for 2011) Get the data

A 2007 World Bank report says that while India has one of the most progressive disability policy frameworks in the developing world—what with acts such as the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995—implementation is poor. The report’s key recommendation is to “get the basics right”, especially identifying people with disabilities as soon as possible after onset. Almost a decade later, nothing seems to have changed.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/accessibility/news/livemint-sachin-p-mampatta-september-10-2015-indias-missing-disabled-population

India- EU FTA: A Note on the Copyright Issues

nehaa — 2013-07-03T06:47:08Z

In this blog post, Nehaa Chaudhari gives us an overview of some of the provisions of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the copyright issues identified therein.

Click to download the India-EU FTA: A Note on Copyright Issues (PDF, 205 Kb)

Against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations dating back to 2007, and, more recently, with parties being unable to make substantial progress on the Indo-EU FTA[1] this note presents an overview on some of the provisions of the FTA and the copyright issues identified therein. This note deals with the issues on two levels- first to examine the impact of intellectual property right provisions in FTAs in general and second to apply these generic principles to the Indo- EU FTA specifically.

Introduction

Investment agreements, of which bilateral investment treaties are a part, and investment chapters in various FTAs often result in an increase in the effective levels of intellectual property protection in one of the countries that is a part to the agreement. This can be done either explicitly, where ‘investment’ may be defined to include IP, or implicitly, for instance, through an expropriation provision.[2] This has concurrently witnessed the growing realization that the promotion of these increased IP standards is not suited to the need of developing countries. Therefore, it has been observed[3]that there is now an attempt by the developed countries to use FTAs as a forum to push for higher standards of IP protection in developing countries, and to restrict the scope of the flexibilities offered by TRIPS, most notably in the sectors of protection of plant varieties, patents and access to medicine, farmers rights and access to information.[4]This approach is inherently problematic, because it then infringes on the developing countries’ ability to achieve their developmental objectives.

Dismantling the Arguments In Favour of Increased IP Protection

A prevalent view of thought is that in order to increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), developing countries would have to increase their IP protection. This section of the paper seeks to argue that this might not necessarily be the case.

An illustration of the aforesaid proposition may be Heald’s criticism[5] levied on Mansfield’s paper[6] arguing that there was a direct correlation between the level of intellectual property protection in a country and the foreign direct investment into that country. Further, a study[7] conducted under the aegis of the United Nations has suggested that there was a ‘considerable incentive’ for countries to use the flexibilities provided under TRIPS to maximise net benefits for their development; stating that while in countries with a capacity to innovate stronger IPR protection can reap some benefits in terms of greater innovation at home and a greater diffusion of technology, the same cannot be said about nations without such a capacity, and may in fact impose additional costs.[8]

Specifically in the area of copyright, it has been observed that increased copyright protection can hamper the growth and development of knowledge based industries. Sanya Smith argues that those who control copyright have a ‘significant advantage’ in the knowledge based economy, and says that in the current scenario where ownership of copyright is largely in the hands of industrialized nations, this places developing nations, and smaller economies at a significant disadvantage.[9] She also goes on to argue that increasing copyright protection alone does not seem to be sufficient to stimulate industries, and there may other factors involved. Additionally, copyright could also significantly increase the cost of creative industries.[10] More fundamentally however, access to information and knowledge are amongst the most affected areas as a result of tightening of copyright laws, leaving students, academicians, researchers, scientists and persons with print disability significantly disadvantaged.

Implications of the Copyright Provisions in the Proposed Indo- EU FTA

Based on the general discussion earlier, this section of the paper seeks to examine the proposed and long debated Indo- EU FTA for the concerns enumerated earlier. As things currently stand, both parties have failed to reach a consensus on various substantial differences, and a ministerial meet originally scheduled for June seems unlikely to take place.[11]

It has been observed[12] that the Indo- EU FTA[13] includes various provisions that preserve the flexibilities offered under the TRIPS framework. This is extremely critical from the perspective of developing countries, given that access to knowledge is an extremely important ideal to be preserved. For instance, as noted by Knowledge Ecology International[14]the proposed FTA includes Articles 7 (Objectives) and 8 (Principles) of the TRIPS[15] by reference. Further, the language of Article 13 under the proposed FTA explicitly recognizes the importance of the Doha Declaration, which is a positive step.[16] It has been said however, that stronger language where the parties ‘affirmed’ their obligations under the Declaration could have been used.[17] However, this does not take away from the fact that many of the provisions of the proposed FTA are extremely problematic, as will be discussed in the forthcoming parts of this paper.

Problematic Provisions

The main concern that has emerged from this FTA is the fact that some of its provisions dealing with IPR go beyond the mandate as under the TRIPS Agreement. For instance, as pointed out by Shamnaad Basheer to Intellectual Property Watch, various provisions now provide for intermediary liability, which isn’t present in TRIPS. He also adds however, that if the initial stand of the government that India would not go TRIPS plus continues to hold, the government should indeed adopt a strong stance and not cave in to the said provisions.[18] An overview of some of the problematic provisions has been presented hereafter:

International Obligations

As per the proposed treaty, protection granted by the parties should be in accordance with the Berne Convention, the Rome Convention and the WIPO Copyright and Performance and Phonograms Treaties. Snehashish Ghosh in his blog post[19] writes that the EU stipulates compliance with Articles 1 through 22 of the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (1961), Articles 1 through 14 of the WIPO Copyright Treaty – WCT (Geneva, 1996), Articles 1 through 23 of the WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty – WPPT (Geneva, 1996). It is critical to note that the Rome Convention is not in force in India[20], and that India is not a party to either the WCT[21] or the WPPT[22], and therefore, this provision would have the effect of substantially surpassing all obligations that India has at the moment under multilateral international agreements.

Technical Protection Measures (TPMs) and Digital Rights Management (DRM)

A TPM, understood simply, is a lock in a digital format, placed on digital material to prevent access to or copying of the material in question. The problem with such measures is that they can prevent even those forms of copying which are legal (for instance, the copying of a movie on which copyright has expired could be prevented), creating a potentially infinite monopoly over the product in question. India, in its negotiations with the EU, has agreed to sweeping language under this provision, where TPMs and DRM measures are broadly defined. The Agreement further provides for limitations on TPM protections only to persons who have “legal access to the protected work or subject matter”.[23]

Copyright Expansion

There are various provisions under the proposed FTA that have the effect of copyright expansion. To begin with, the duration of protection for photographic works is not expressly mentioned in the proposed agreement.[24] Snehashish Ghosh concludes that the term of photographic works is unclear in the proposed FTA. He writes that the proposed FTA makes it mandatory for the parties to comply with the Berne Convention, and all literary and artistic work under the proposed FTA is to be construed as the same as the Berne Convention[25]. Photographic works are included under literary and artistic works under the Berne Convention, and the rights of an author in case of photographic works are protected for a minimum period of 25 years. However, the proposed FTA extends the period of protection to beyond that prescribed by the Berne Convention and states that protection is given to literary and artistic works (as defined in the Berne Convention) for a period of the duration of the life of the author plus fifty years after this death. It further states that works for which the period of protection is not calculated from the death of the author, and which have not been lawfully made available to the public within at least 50 years from their creation, the protection shall terminate.[26]

Article 7.6 (proposed by the EU), limits the resale rights of a downstream purchaser. It has been noted by Knowledge Ecology International[27] that this seems to give the author of an original work of art a right in perpetuity, to receive a royalty for the resale of the piece of art, where such right cannot be waived or transferred by the author of the work. Therefore, a situation would arise where each time a person who has purchased the work wants to resell the same, he would have to pay royalties to the original author.[28] The observations further go on to note that royalties are not limited, and the amount has to be determined by national legislation. Further complicating the situation is the fact that the provision does not cease to apply after a given number of re-sales, and continues to the death of the author (but might not into the 50 year protection post the death of the author).[29]

Exceptions and limitations for copyright have been covered under Article 7.9(1) of the proposed FTA, and they may be created “only” in accordance with the three step test, which is essentially that (a) the exceptions and limitations must apply in certain special cases; (b) must not be in conflict with the normal course of exploitation of the subject matter in question and (c) must not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the right holders.[30] It has been observed that this test is more restrictive than TRIPS, Berne Convention, Rome Convention or the WCT.[31]

On the plus side, temporary copies have been excluded from copyright protection, as per Article 7.9(2) of the proposed FTA, which would ensure the proper functioning of technology.

Persons with Disabilities

There is nothing that deals with the import/export or cross border exchange of files/documents/books etc. for persons with disabilities.

Cross Border Measures

Cross Border Measures have been dealt with under Article 30 of the proposed FTA. It is interesting to note that under this Article the EU has proposed the application of border measures to exports as well. This is contrary to the position laid down in the TRIPS Agreement, which has this requirement only for importing infringing goods.[32] Further, the EU also seeks to expand the applicability of such measures to include those goods which also infringe designs or geographical indications. Additionally, Article 30 also leaves out certain TRIPS safeguards, for instance, one that requires the right holder to provide adequate evidence for a prima facie case of infringement.[33]

Intermediary Liability

It has been suggested that the EU, under the garb of protecting intermediate service providers from liability for infringement by users, is purporting to place a greater burden on the providers in question, of policing user activity.[34] For instance under Article 35.1.1 of the proposed FTA, while service providers are not under any general obligation to seek facts or circumstances that could indicate illegal activity, they may be obligated to promptly inform competent authorities of these alleged illegal activities undertaken/information provided by recipients of their service. [35] Otherwise, the providers may also be required to communicate to the authorities, on their request, information that would enable the identification of their service with whom they have storage agreements, as per Article 35.1.2.[36] It has been rightly identified by Glover Wright, that such provisions would only serve to increase tensions between the users and their service providers, with relations dictated by concerns about liability, and barriers in the sending, receiving and storing of information freely. It would be a tricky question for intermediate service providers to check what would constitute ‘knowledge’ and how they were to best safeguard themselves from liability.[37] Therefore, the author is inclined to agree with Wright’s submission that India needs to reject all provisions of liability of intermediate service providers as discussed above.

IP Enforcement

There exist, as regards the enforcement of rights, many problematic provisions in the proposed FTA. For starters, the EU has proposed that interlocutory injunctions may also be issued under the same conditions against an intermediary whose services are being used by a third party to infringe intellectual property rights.[38] This may be found under Article 22.1 of the proposed FTA, and is inherently problematic for being a provision far beyond the mandate as laid down by TRIPS.

The EU is also pushing for the use of very explicit language as regards seizing movable and immovable property of the alleged infringer as a precautionary measure. This also extends to the blocking of the bank accounts and other assets of the said infringer, and to this end, competent authorities may even order the communication of bank, financial or commercial documents, or access to the said information.[39] It is critical to note that such a provision is greatly problematic as being rather vague in its approach, and very readily compromising privacy for ‘alleged’ acts of infringement.

It is further critical to note that while Article 20 states that courts should have the power to grant ex parte order to collect evidence that is allegedly infringing, there are no safeguards provided for protection of a bona fide defendant whose premises might have been raided wrongly. It is submitted that provisions that safeguard the interests of defendants are of prime importance, especially in the Indian set up, where courts are as it is rather generous in their granting of ex parte orders.

Concluding Observations

While India may stand to benefit from the proposed FTA with the EU, there remain significant IP related issues that need to be ironed out before India comes to any consensus about the agreement and ratifies the same. On the basis of the discussion over the course of this paper, it may be seen that the provisions on intellectual property rights are problematic on various levels, particularly in the areas of expansion of copyright, the inclusion of TRIPS plus provisions, cross border measures, TPMs, liability of service providers and enforcement mechanisms.

Discussions in the first half of this paper have demonstrated that increased IP protections do not necessarily translate into increased FDI and may in fact stifle innovation. Further, the warning to developing countries against adopting IPR standards fixed by developed nations has been sounded many times over, and is one that needs to be heeded to very closely for developing nations to achieve their developmental objectives.

India has over a period of time established an IP regime that is consumer friendly. In adopting the proposed FTA in its current form, she risks endangering this regime that has thus far been instrumental in proliferating emerging technologies in the county.[40] Given that India has already acceded to international standards for IPRs as a result of being a member of the WTO and being TRIPS compliant, there is no cogent reason to be made out that warrants the accession to an FTA with TRIPS plus provisions. India ought to continue to push back strongly on these fronts, bearing in mind that its stance could very well set the tone for other such agreements in South Asia. From the way things stand at the moment, it is indeed a matter of some relief that the ratification of this proposed FTA still appears to be at a considerable distance.

[1].Hereafter referred to as the FTA.

[2]. Sanya Reid Smith, Intellectual Property in Free Trade Agreements, for the UNDP Regional Trade Workshop (17-18 December, Penang, Malaysia), available at http://bit.ly/11W8dqy (last accessed 04 June, 2013).

[3]. Id.

[4]. Id at 5.

[5]. Supra note 2, citing PJ Heald, Information Economics and Policy 16 (2004) 57-65

[6]. Edwin Mansfield, Intellectual Property Protection, Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer, International Finance Corporation: Discussion Paper No. 19, available at http://bit.ly/18V4D5v (last accessed 05 June, 2013)

[7]. See generally- Rod Falvey et. al., The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Technology Transfer and Economic Growth: Theory and Evidence, United Nations Industrial Development Organization: Discussion Paper (2006), available at http://bit.ly/11JBR4o (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[8]. Id.

[9]. Supra note 2 at 23.

[10]. Supra note 2 at 23.

[11]. PTI, India – EU FTA Talks Fail to Bridge Gaps, available at http://bit.ly/19LJaeP (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[12]. Krista Cox, Quick Reaction to the EU/India (BTIA) Negotiating Text, available at http://keionline.org/node/1693 (last accessed 04 June, 2013).

[13]. Hereafter referred to as the FTA

[14]. KEI Staff, More Notes on the India EU FTA (BTIA), available at http://keionline.org/node/1692 (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[15]. See http://bit.ly/13XhCfZ for more details, and for the bare text of the Articles. (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[16]. Supra note 14.

[17]. Supra note 12.

[18]. Patralekha Chatterjee, Leaked IP Chapter of India- EU FTA Shows TRIPS-PLUS Pitfalls for India, Expert Says, available at http://bit.ly/Y7w70e (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[19]. Snehashish Ghosh, Analysis of Copyright Expansion in the India-EU FTA (July 2010), available at http://bit.ly/ysitEC (last accessed 03 June, 2013).

[20]. For the status of Contracting Parties, see http://bit.ly/UITpsX (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[21]. For the status of Contracting Parties, see http://bit.ly/f92xL2 (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[22]. For the status of Contracting Parties, see http://bit.ly/fEsUAF (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[23]. Supra note 14.

[24]. Supra note 19.

[25]. Supra note 19.

[26]. Supra note 19.

[27]. Supra note 12.

[28]. Supra note 12.

[29]. Supra note 12.

[30]. Supra note 12.

[31]. Supra note 14.

[32]. Supra note 12.

[33]. Supra note 12.

[34]. See Article 35 of the Proposed FTA.

[35]. Glover Wright, A Guide to the Proposed India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, available at http://bit.ly/16Dfuga (last accessed 05 June, 2013) at 12- 14.

[36]. Id.

[37]. Id.

[38]. Thiru, EU-India FTA: EU Pushes for IP Enforcement- IP Chapter Draft Text Under Negotiation (2013), available at http://keionline.org/node/1681 (last accessed 05 June, 2013).

[39]. See Article 22.3 of the proposed FTA.

[40]. Supra note 35.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/india-eu-fta-copyright-issues