CENTRAL AND STATE ADVISORY BOARDS ON DISABILITY AND DISTRICT LEVEL COMMITTEECentral
Section 60 of The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
- (1)The Central Government shall, by notification, constitute a body to be known as the Central Advisory Board on Disability to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to it, under this Act.
- (2)The Central Advisory Board shall consist of,—
- (a)the Minister in charge of Department of Disability Affairs in the Central Government, Chairperson, ex officio;
- (b)the Minister of State in charge dealing with Department of Disability Affairs in the Ministry in the Central Government, Vice Chairperson, ex officio;
- (c)three Members of Parliament, of whom two shall be elected by Lok Sabha and one by the Rajya Sabha, Members, ex officio;
- (d)the Ministers in charge of Disability Affairs of all States and Administrators or Lieutenant Governors of the Union territories, Members, ex officio;
- (e)Secretaries to the Government of India in charge of the Ministries or Departments of Disability Affairs, Social Justice and Empowerment, School Education and Literacy, and Higher Education, Women and Child Development, Expenditure, Personnel and Training, Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Health and Family Welfare, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Industrial Policy and Promotion, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Science and Technology, Communications and Information Technology, Legal Affairs, Public Enterprises, Youth Affairs and Sports, Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation, Members, ex officio;
- (f)Secretary, National Institute of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, Member, ex officio;
- (g)Chairperson, Rehabilitation Council of India, Member, ex officio;
- (h)Chairperson, National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, Member, ex officio;
- (i)Chairman-cum-Managing Director, National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation, Member, ex officio;
- (j)Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation, Member, ex officio;
- (k)Chairman, Railway Board, Member, ex officio;
- (l)Director-General, Employment and Training, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Member, ex officio;
- (m)Director, National Council for Educational Research and Training, Member, ex officio;
- (n)Chairperson, National Council of Teacher Education, Member, ex officio;
- (o)Chairperson, University Grants Commission, Member, ex officio;
- (p)Chairperson, Medical Council of India, Member, ex officio;
- (q)Directors of the following Institutes:
- (i)National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Dehradun;
- (ii)National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad;
- (iii)Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Institute for the Physically Handicapped, New Delhi;
- (iv)Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai;
- (v)National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped, Kolkata;
- (vi)National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research, Cuttack;
- (vii)National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai;
- (viii)National Institute for Mental Health and Sciences, Bangalore;
- (ix)Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre, New Delhi, Members, ex officio;
- (r)Members to be nominated by the Central Government,—
- (i)five Members who are experts in the field of disability and rehabilitation;
- (ii)ten Members, as far as practicable, being persons with disabilities, to represent non-Governmental Organisations concerned with disabilities or disabled persons organisations: Provided that out of the ten Members nominated, at least, five Members shall be women and at least one person each shall be from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes;
- (iii)up to three representatives of national level chambers of commerce and industry;
- (s)Joint Secretary to the Government of India dealing with the subject of disability policy, Member-Secretary, ex officio.
Summary
- The Central Government is required to set up a national body called the Central Advisory Board on Disability.
- This Board serves as the top national group for consulting and advising on all disability matters.
- The Minister in charge of Disability Affairs in the Central Government serves as the Chairperson.
- It also includes heads of many national disability institutes and representatives from the NITI Aayog and Railway Board.
Practical examples
1On January 10, 2025, the Minister of Disability Affairs chairs the first meeting of the Central Advisory Board to discuss national accessibility.
2Ms. Lakshmi, a disability rights advocate, is nominated to the Board on August 5, 2024, as one of the five required female members.
FAQ
1. Who is the head of the Central Advisory Board under Section 60 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016?
The Minister in charge of the Department of Disability Affairs in the Central Government is the ex officio Chairperson.
2. How many Members of Parliament are on the Board under Section 60 of the 2016 Disability Act?
There are three Members of Parliament, with two elected by the Lok Sabha and one by the Rajya Sabha.
3. Does the Central Advisory Board include experts from outside the government under Section 60 of the Disability Act?
Yes, Section 60 allows the Central Government to nominate five members who are experts in the field of disability and rehabilitation.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 60 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, who serves as the Vice Chairperson of the Central Advisory Board?
Q2.According to Section 60 of the Disability Act 2016, how many nominated members represent non governmental organizations?
Q3.Which group must have at least one representative among the nominated members under Section 60 of the Disability Act 2016?
Q4.Under Section 60 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which institute director is an ex officio member?