PwD Representation in Central Workforce Stagnates at 1% for Over a Decade: DoPT Data

Quick Summary:

• People with disabilities (PwDs) have accounted for no more than 1.1% of Central government employees since the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD Act) came into force in 2016, despite the law increasing reservation for PwDs from 3% to 4%.
• supreme Court raised concerns over PwDs qualifying “on merit” being recruited for reserved posts instead of unreserved posts, potentially affecting lower-scoring candidates in the same category.
• Data from the Department of Personnel and Training (dopt) shows PwD depiction among Central Ministries and departments has ranged between 0.5% and 1.1% since 2011, reaching a marginal high of 21,874 employees in January 2022.
• The highest representation was observed among Group C Safai Karmachari posts (1.93%), while only around 1% representation was noted among Group A postings.
• Between January 2016 and January 2018, there was a slight increase in PwD representation above the previous norm, crossing into the range of approximately over one percent; though incomplete data post-2018 complicates analysis.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The limited inclusion of persons with disabilities within India’s Central government workforce raises vital questions about systemic implementation challenges against policy aspirations outlined in the RPwD Act. Even though quota reservations have increased to allow greater inclusion across categories as its enforcement post-such clarifying official gaps marked equitable plays real clarity nuanced observations timely suggests hopeful + quieter cross those rightful requests