Context

As per the information of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), generation of unique disability IDs (UDIDs) had increased from an average of 5,000 IDs a day to an average of 7,000 to 9,000 daily during the ‘90-day Azadi Se Antodaya Tak campaign’.

Background

• The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities had made it mandatory for states to issue UDIDs through its online portal from June 1, 2021 onwards.
• As of May 2, 2023 a total of 72, 06,947 IDs had been generated since the UDID project started in 2016.

About the ‘Unique Disability ID’:

• Objective:
  • The UDID project initiated by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities aims at building a holistic end-to-end integrated system for Issuance of Universal ID & Disability Certificates for Person with Disabilities with their identification and disability details.
• Implemented by:
  • Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities project is being implemented with a view of creating a National Database for PwDs, and to issue a Unique Disability Identity Card to each person with disabilities.
• It includes -
  • Online availability of data of Person with Disabilities across country through a centralized web application
  • Online filing and submission of registration application form for disability certificate/ Universal ID card; Offline applications may also be accepted and subsequently digitized by agencies
  • Quick Assessment process for calculating the percentage of disability by the hospitals/ Medical Board
  • Non-duplication of PwDs data
  • Online renewal and update of information by Person with Disabilities/ on their behalf
  • MIS reporting framework
  • Effective management including interoperability of the benefits / schemes launched by the Government for Person with Disability (PwD)
  • To take care of additional disabilities in future. Number of disabilities at the moment is seven and shall be subject to increase as per the new Act/ notification which can be up to 19 or more.
• Significance:
  • The project will encourage transparency, efficiency and ease of delivering the government benefits to the person with disabilities.
  • The project will also help in stream-lining the tracking of physical and financial progress of beneficiary at all levels of hierarchy of implementation – from village level, block level, District level , State level and National level.

Benefits:

The UDID card shall bring a host of benefits to the Persons with Disabilities as given below:

• Persons with disabilities will not need to make multiple copies of documents, maintain, and carry multiple documents as the card will capture all the necessary details which can be decoded with the help of a reader
• The UDID card will be the single document of identification, verification of the disabled for availing various benefits in future
• The UDID Card will also help in stream-lining the tracking of the physical and financial progress of beneficiary at all levels of hierarchy of implementation - from village level, block level, District level, State level and National level.