No mention of disability in budget 2024 speech

The Union Budget 2025 was presented by the Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman, yesterday, and left the country’s disabled community high and dry yet again. 

According to the PTI, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) was allocated Rs 1,225.27 crore, a marginal increase from the previous year’s 1,225.01 crore. 

While disability activists were campaigning for at least a 5 percent allocation of the total union budget to the DEPwD, the current figures park the tally at a mere 0.025 percent of the total national budget for FY 2024-25. 

The figures add up to a Rs 12 lakh (USD 14,000) increase from last year’s total allocation. 

A substantial portion of the budget, amounting to Rs 615.33 crore, has been allocated to the National Program for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities for this fiscal year.

This despite the government outlining employment and skilling and social justice as two of the priority areas in the year’s budget. 

The Politics and Disability Forum put out a post on LinkedIn highlighting the disproportionately small share of the union budget allocated to the DEPwD given the large population of the country. 

“An analysis of specific allocation reveals further complications with this budget wherein the allocation for Scheme for Implementation of Person With Disabilities Act (SIPDA) has seen systematic decline over the years,” their post read. 

Disability rights groups and self-advocates, too, voiced their displeasure openly. 

“Over the years, I have always felt disappointed and spoken against the token mention of disability in budget speeches. This time, the Hon’ble Finance Minister took me too seriously. Disability wasn’t mentioned even once in the budget speech,” said disability rights advocate Nipun Malhotra in a post on LinkedIn. 

Dr Satendra Singh, disability rights activist, tweeted sarcastically, “Bravo, #Budget2024! Inclusive growth by completely forgetting people with disabilities, not even mentioning them once and giving a generous 0.025% of the budget to @socialpwds for our empowerment. Truly redefining #SocialJustice!”

“Flagship programs like the Accessible India campaign are underfunded, resulting in missed targets and compromised accessibility. Reduced allocations for the Scheme for the Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA) make the situation worse.,” wrote Danish Mahajan, founder of Radio Udaan, in a post on LinkedIn. 

The Scheme for the Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA) has seen a decrease in budget allocation compared to the last fiscal. The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) general secretary Muralidharan noted the reduction in support to autonomous bodies such as the National Institutes and the Rehabilitation Council of India, which play crucial roles in rehabilitation and education.

He also highlighted the cut in scholarships for students with disabilities, which could force many to PwDs drop out of education.

The release put out by the Politics and Disability Forum highlights the consistent underutilisation of allocated budget funds by the DEPwD. 

“The absence of Persons with Disabilities from this social justice dents the promise of inclusive growth towards Viksit Bharat 2047. A developed India without catering to its 7-8 percent of its population (sic) will only cause marginalisation of this minority,” the release read. 

The organisation has asked for increased investment in health insurance schemes for PwDs, specific budget allocations for disability across ministries, high-quality assistive aids, uniform state disability pensions, and long-term skill development programmes. 

Social sector highlights from Budget 2024-25:

• Youth Employment: ₹2 lakh crore allocated for job creation 

• Agriculture: ₹1.52 lakh crore for agricultural development 

• Women Empowerment: ₹3 lakh crore for women-focused schemes 

• Urban Development: ₹10 lakh crore for housing and infrastructure 

• Climate Resilience: Introduction of climate-resilient crops and new schemes