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Supreme Court to examine plea on accessibility failures for disabled air travellers
ଖବରରେ କାହିଁକି?
Stranded at every step of a flight: the 21 disability categories of the RPwD Act 2016 explained
A plea on non-implementation of accessibility in air travel puts the 2016 disability rights law in focus.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 ମିନିଟ
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea that accessibility requirements are not implemented at any stage of air travel, from booking and web check-in to boarding, leaving disabled passengers stranded.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises 21 categories of disability and requires accessible services and facilities.
ଉତ୍ସ: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ମୁଖ୍ୟ ତଥ୍ୟ
Remember these
- The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 recognises 21 categories of disability.
- The 2016 Act replaced the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, which recognised 7 disabilities.
- The Act requires accessible services and facilities for persons with disabilities.
- The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea on accessibility failures from booking and web check-in to boarding.
- The RPwD Act, 2016 gives effect to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which India ratified in 2007.
ପ୍ରିଲିମ୍ସ · ମେନ୍ସ
How the exam will ask it
ପ୍ରିଲିମ୍ସ
- The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises 21 specified categories of disability, up from 7 under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.
- The RPwD Act, 2016 requires accessible services and facilities for persons with disabilities, including in transport.
- The RPwD Act, 2016 was enacted to give effect to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
ମେନ୍ସ
GS2 (Polity and Social Justice): Accessibility gaps in air travel show a distance between rights on paper and enforcement. The RPwD Act, 2016 mandates accessible services and facilities, and the Supreme Court's examination tests how far the judiciary can push compliance. The way forward lies in enforceable accessibility standards, monitoring and penalties, staff sensitisation and accessible digital booking and check-in.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises how many categories of disability?
- 7
- 14
- 21
- 25
ଉତ୍ତର ଦେଖନ୍ତୁ
ଉତ୍ତର: C — Correct: 21 — The 2016 Act expanded the list recognised under the earlier 1995 law to 21 specified disabilities, so this is the correct count. • 7 — wrong: Seven was the number of disabilities recognised under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, which the 2016 Act replaced. • 14 — wrong: Fourteen is not the count in either the 1995 or the 2016 law; the 2016 Act lists more categories than this. • 25 — wrong: Twenty-five exceeds the 21 categories actually specified in the Schedule to the 2016 Act.
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