People in Delhi, the consultation seems to be worth-attending. Do find time to come there.
On 12/28/16, George Abraham <[email protected]> wrote: > Have sent you a whats app message confirming our participation! > > Good luck! > > George Abraham > > > -----Original Message----- > From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of Pankaj Sinha > Sent: 27 December 2016 13:53 > To: accessindia > Subject: [AI] INVITATION FOR DISCUSSION ON THE NEW RPWD BILL 2016 > > Dear Maam/Sir, > > People's Action for Change & Empowerment (PACE) in collaboration with > Centre for Accessibility in Built Environment (CABE) has great privilege in > inviting you to the National Consultation on the new RPWD Bill 2016 > scheduled to be held in New Delhi during 29-30 Dec 2016. > > > > The Consultation will see leading disability rights activists, advocates & > legal practitioners & NGOs from across India sharing their concerns on the > new Bill. The idea is to supplement the Bill brought out by the Govt. > showing such great commitment, so that the resulting Act doesn’t fail the > aspirations of people with disabilities in the coming days. A slot from 5 > PM to 6 PM has been reserved for Media Briefings/Press Conference on 30 Dec > 2016, however media friends would be welcome to cover the event any time > during the two days too. > > > > *Need of this consultation* > > > > As you are aware that the Parliament had passed the Rights of Persons with > Disabilities Bill 2016 with 119 amendments in the 2014 Bill (Rajya Sabha > passed it on 14 Dec 16 and the Lok Sabha on 16 Dec 16). > > > > Although the RPWD 2016 Bill has many good features incorporating civil, > political & cultural rights & also covers a wide range of disabling > conditions with power to the government to add more disabilities, yet there > are many areas in the Bill that pose serious challenge as a result of > omissions & dilutions. This not only that frustrates the object of the Bill > which is to give full effect to the UN convention on the rights of persons > with disabilities but also takes away from the stakeholders what was > already available to them in the earlier Act of 1995. > > > > Many sections of the bill are also dependent on framing of comprehensive > rules in order to give effect to the Bill. There are also catena of > judgments passed by the different High Courts & Hon’ble Supreme Court > giving wider & beneficial interpretations that advanced the rights of > persons with disabilities and this jurisprudence need to find its place in > the Bill or in rules. If these concerns cannot be addressed within the > rules in the given framework of the bill, it may necessitate amendments in > the bill to rectify the same. > > > > In light of above, a National Consultation on the RPWD Bill 2016 is > proposed to be held in New Delhi during 29-30 Dec 2016 wherein we propose > to discuss each section threadbare & analyse the bill & come up with > suggestions on how to plug the lacunae in the Bill that the rights of > persons with disabilities are protected. > > > > > > *Background* > > > > According to the Census of India, 2011 disabled persons accounted for 2.21% > of India’s population. Of these, 20.3% have a movement-related disability, > 18.9% are those with hearing disabilities and 18.8% with vision-related > disabilities. > > > > Currently, the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection > of Rights and Full Participation) (PWD) Act, 1995 specifies seven > conditions as disabilities and makes special provisions for disabled > persons with regard to their rehabilitation, and opportunities for > employment and education. > > > > In 2007, India became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the > Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The UNCRPD requires signatory > states to make appropriate changes in law and policy to give effect to > rights of disabled persons. > > > > Apart from the PWD Act, other laws that govern various aspects of > disabilities include the Mental Health Act, 1987, the National Trust for > the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and > Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 and the Rehabilitation Council of India > Act, 1992. > > > > In response to the ratification of the UNCRPD, the Government decided to > bring about changes in its existing legal framework. Accordingly, in 2010, > the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment constituted an expert > committee under Dr. Sudha Kaul Vice-Chairperson, Indian Institute of > Cerebral Palsy, Kolkata, to draft a new Bill for persons with disabilities. > The committee submitted a Draft Bill on June 30, 2011 that proposed to > replace the PWD Act and addressed rights and entitlements for disabled > persons. The draft Bill was extensively debated and discussed at various > levels involving State Governments and Union Territories. The Committee > held several State Level consultations at 30 places (28 States and 2 UTs) > and also a National Consultation involving civil society representatives > and consultations with legal experts. On the basis of the comments received > from Central Ministries/ Departments as also the State Governments, the > draft RPwD Bill was further revised and subsequently finalized in > consultations with Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department). > The Union Cabinet considered the proposal of the Ministry and approved the > proposed RPWD Bill, 2013 with the modification regarding exemption of > National Fund from the purview of income tax (deletion of clause 102). > > > > The Ministry further met the representatives of the cross disability groups > under the banner of Joint Disabilities Forum. The issues raised by the > cross disability Joint Disabilities Forum were discussed in detail in the > National Advisory Council on 29.01.2014. Accordingly, the revised proposal > to incorporate these amendments in the Bill was approved by the Cabinet on > 06.02.2014. > > > > The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha February 7, 2014 and the amendments > thereto were circulated in the Rajya Sabha on February 11, 2014. The Bill > was, thereafter, on September 16, 2014, referred to the Standing Committee > on Social Justice and Empowerment for examination and report. However, due > to dissolution of 15th Lok Sabha, the Bill was re-referred to the Standing > Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (2014-15) in the 16th Lok Sabha. > > > > The Standing Committee chaired by Shri. Ramesh Bais presented its report to > Lok Sabha on May 7, 2015 with several important recommendations. Its only > in winter session of 2016, that the Parliament passed the Rights of Persons > with Disabilities Bill 2014 with 119 amendments (in Rajya Sabha on 14 Dec > 16 and in Lok Sabha on 16 Dec 16) unanimously. > > > > > > *Venue, Date & Time of the Consultation* > > > > Gandhi Hall, Blind Relief Association, LBS Road, New Delhi 110003 > > Date: 29-30 Dec 2016, (9.00 AM – 6.00 PM) > > Media Briefing: 5 PM-6 PM on 30 Dec 2016 > > Please confirm your participation so that the necessary arrangements can > be made. > > *Contact persons:* > > > > 1. Pankaj Sinha, Advocate & Secretary, People’s Action for Change & > Empowerment (PACE), Mobile : +91 -9910247816, Landline: +91-11-23387815, > Facebook Page-http://www.facebook.com/pace.india > > > > 2. Subhash Chandra Vashishth, Advocate & Founder- Centre for Accessibility > in Built Environment (CABE) Mob: +91 9811125521, email:[email protected] > & [email protected] Website – www.cabeindia.blogspot.in, Facebook > Page: https://www.facebook.com/CABE.Access > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
