UPSC Prelims 2026 Q56: RPwD Act, Sugamya Bharat & NDFDC — Explained

Which of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct?

1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2018, mandates reservation in education and employment, places a legal duty on Governments to ensure accessibility and non-discrimination.

2. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains — built infrastructure, transport systems and information and communication technology.

3. The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a public sector organisation set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

  1. 1 and 2
  2. 2 only
  3. 1 and 3
  4. 1 only

Answer: (b) 2 only

Statement-wise explanation

  • 1: incorrect — The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act was passed in 2016, not 2018. Rajya Sabha passed it on 16 December 2016, it got Presidential assent on 27 December 2016, and it came into force on 19 April 2017. The rest of the statement is accurate: Section 32 reserves at least 5% of seats in government and government-aided higher education institutions, Section 34 reserves at least 4% of government vacancies for persons with benchmark disabilities, and the Act places duties on governments on non-discrimination and accessibility. The wrong year alone makes the statement incorrect.
  • 2: correct — The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign) was launched on 3 December 2015 by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. It is built on three pillars: the built environment, the transportation system, and the information and communication technology (ICT) ecosystem. PIB material on the campaign describes it in almost the same words used in this statement.
  • 3: incorrect — NDFDC was not set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. It is a central public sector undertaking under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It was registered on 24 January 1997 as a not-for-profit company under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (now Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013). The Companies Act is administered by the Corporate Affairs Ministry, but the ministry that set up and controls NDFDC is Social Justice and Empowerment.

How to eliminate

Two facts solve this question. First, the RPwD Act is the 2016 Act. Its name carries the year, and 2018 is wrong. Once Statement 1 is out, options a, c and d all fall, because each contains 1. Only '2 only' is left, so you do not need to know anything about NDFDC. Statement 3 can also be checked on its own. Development finance corporations for target groups, such as NSFDC, NBCFDC, NSKFDC and NDFDC, are set up by the ministry in charge of that group. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs only administers the Companies Act under which these not-for-profit companies are registered. UPSC often hides one wrong fact, such as a year or a ministry, inside a statement that is otherwise accurate. Check every detail before you mark a long statement true.

Know more

India's disability framework: law, campaign, finance

The RPwD Act, 2016 replaced the PwD Act, 1995. It was passed to bring Indian law in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which India ratified in 2007. Key features:

  • It raised the number of recognised disabilities from 7 to 21. These now include acid attack victims, specific learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.
  • A benchmark disability is a certified disability of at least 40%. Reservation benefits apply to benchmark disabilities.
  • 4% reservation in government jobs (Section 34) and at least 5% of seats in government and government-aided higher education institutions (Section 32).
  • It sets up a Chief Commissioner and State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities, plus special courts.
  • Discrimination and atrocities against persons with disabilities are punishable offences.
Body / initiative Year Parent ministry / department Purpose
RPwD Act 2016 (in force 19 Apr 2017) Parliament; DEPwD implements Rights-based law
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan 3 Dec 2015 DEPwD, MoSJE Accessibility in the built environment, transport and ICT
NDFDC 1997 DEPwD, MoSJE Concessional loans for self-employment
UDID card 2016 onwards DEPwD One national disability ID

NDFDC lends to PwDs through State Channelising Agencies and partner banks. Its loan schemes include the Divyangjan Swavalamban Yojana for individuals and the Vishesh Microfinance Yojana for self-help groups.

Pattern to remember: the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities was carved out of MoSJE in 2012 and renamed in 2016. It runs the Act, the campaign and NDFDC. The Corporate Affairs Ministry has no role beyond the company law under which NDFDC is registered.

In the news

PIB's explainer 'India's Commitment to Disability Rights' (2 December 2025), released before the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, describes NDFDC as 'a public sector organisation… established in 1997 as a not-for-profit company'. That is almost the same wording as Statement 3. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan also completed ten years on 3 December 2025.

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