Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale has said that the upcoming Census 2027 will provide a historic opportunity to recognise all 21 categories of disabilities through improved enumeration and data collection.
Speaking at the launch of Beyond the Visible: A Handbook on Disability Inclusion for Parliamentarians in New Delhi, the Minister emphasised that accurate and disaggregated data will enable the government to design more targeted and effective interventions for persons with disabilities.
He noted that trained enumerators and enhanced methodologies would significantly improve the quality of disability-related data, strengthening evidence-based policymaking across sectors.
Mr. Athawale added that the handbook’s release will help mainstream the discourse on disability rights and promote inclusive policymaking within Parliament and public life.
Highlighting key government efforts, he referred to flagship initiatives such as the Accessible India Campaign, the Unique Disability ID, and skill development programmes under PM-DAKSH.
Source: AIR
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