Yes, I took notes on my laptop. On 3/17/17, Aruni Sharma <aruni...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi. This is very impressive deed and also your observations at the end are > very apt. Did you take notes on your laptop? > > Thanks and regards > Aruni Sharma > > Associate prof. JNPG College > > Lucknow > Sent from my iPhone 5S > Connect with me: > skype: arunisha...@outlook.com > facebook; arunisharma > twitter: twitter.com/arunisharma > >> On 17-Mar-2017, at 12:36 AM, Mahendra Galani <gal...@chello.at> wrote: >> >> wonderful note Avinash. >> At 11:28 PM 3/16/2017 +0530, you wrote: >>> My notes from the seminar: “challenges in the implementation of the RPD >>> Act†2016 organised by the office of Chief Commissioner of Persons with >>> Disabilities Date: 16th March 2017 Venue: Bharatiya Pravasi Kendra >>> Chanakyapuri Inaugural session Speaker: SK Prasad gave an overview of the >>> seminar. Speaker: Joint Sec and chairperson of National Trust Mr Mukesh >>> Jain Mr Jain: “though the audience is not very big, but the all >>> sitting here have the capacity to change the sector manifold†. Mr Jain: >>> disability does not reside within individuals but it exists in the >>> society. Mr Jain: there are 3 kind of challenges to implement the RPWD >>> Act. 1. Substantive challenges: how to make intervention at the ground >>> level. Healthcare, education and employment fall under substantive >>> challenges. Mr Jain: disability policy should not be the afterthought, it >>> should be built in all the policies. Challenge II: structural challenges >>> Mr Jain: how to make all people with disabilities aware about the >>> provisions under the RPWD Act. If we are able to achieve this, majority >>> of our challenges will go away. Mr Jain: 2.68 crores people with >>> disabilities are not sitting only in Delhi and Mumbai, they are their in >>> the villages and making them aware about their rights should be the key. >>> Mr Jain: if we are to bring accessibility, we will have to train, >>> municipal workers, and the other stakeholders such as SP, DSP and the >>> Majistrates. Mr Jain: removal of prejudice against PWDS. Publick >>> employers should be made aware of the skills of PWDS. Mr Jain: procedural >>> challenge: all state CCPD offices should become the centre for the >>> monitoring and coordinating of the schemes. Speaker: KK Pandey (CCPD) Mr >>> Pandey: though the numbers comprising of state commissioners, NGO >>> representatives government officials and the researchers are less but we >>> should not forget you are the seed which will germinate and bring out the >>> necessary change required in the country. Mr Pandey: In Maharashtra, >>> Gulab Ray Maharaj was the one blind ‘divyang’ who wrote 150 books >>> thousand years ago. Mr Pandey: ‘Divyang’s have always contributed for >>> the nation. They are not burdens what they need an opportunity. Of late >>> science has won over disability. Anyone can become ‘divyang’ so we >>> all should be aware about its challenges. Mr Pandey: In the last 2 and a >>> half years, the government of India has organized more than 4 thousand >>> equipment distribution camps and moore than 6 lakhs ‘divyang’ have >>> got benefited. The government had to incur around Rs 4 crore for this >>> initiative. Mr Pandey: We are now moving from the charity approach to the >>> rights approach. Mr Pandey: the government wants to implement the RPWD >>> Act on the Ambedkar Jayanti on 14th April 2017. Remember the PWDA 1995 >>> took 3 years to see its rules notified. You can thus see the commitment >>> of the Modi Government. Mr Pandey: There is no fixed format in the >>> disability sector. Its evolving and we have to remain vigilance. Its not >>> a sector where trade union operates. We have to find solution with >>> consensus in the sector. Mr Pandey: There is need to give opportunity to >>> all ‘divyangjan’ of the country. I end here Thank you. Speaker: N S >>> kang Secretary DEPWD Mr Kang: The government and the civil society need >>> to work in tendom to see that the law is implemented effectively. Mr >>> Kang: on the 10th of March we put the draft of the rules on our website, >>> please send suggestions. Send us your objections soon so that we could >>> publish the rules on 14th on April on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti. >>> Mr Kang: the larger challenge is to how we make disabled people aware >>> about their entitlements envisaged under the legislation. Mr Kang: in the >>> last 2 years, we have sceen great change in the attitude of peoplw >>> towards PWDs which is encouraging. We should carry on the momentum. We >>> are determined to ensure equal status for the people with disabilities. >>> Avinash: We break for tea now. We are heading towards the lift which is >>> Braille-embedded. The people have now started networking. Some NGO >>> representatives are looking desperate to meet government officials. They >>> have to show their credentials. My friend Yogesh and Me both totally >>> blind have found a table and one of the CCPD Office officials has >>> instructed her colleagues to take care of our tea and snacks >>> requirements. On my table, I happen to meet one woman who has a son who >>> has multiple disabilities. She sstrikes a conversation: ‘Hi’, I >>> responded Hellow! We discussed inclusive schooling and debated the prose >>> and cons. Then we are meeting the State CCPD of Nagaland, who informes us >>> that as per 2011 Census, in Nagaland there are only 29 thousand six >>> hundred children have disabilities. He lamented that his office is >>> clubbed with the social welfare department, and fund scarcity is the huge >>> problem. We are done with tea. Next Session: panel Discussion >>> “challenges in the grievance redressal under RPD Act Mr Dhariwal >>> (former Deputy CCPD chairs the session Speaker: Mr Mukesh Jain (JS DEPWD) >>> Mr Jain: CCPD should not only address a grievance of a particular >>> complant, but it should also recommend that similar violation doesn’t >>> take place in other establishments. Speaker: Uma Tuli former CCPD MRs >>> Tuli: When I was CCPD people were fearful of my power. Mr Tuli: not only >>> CCPD, but the civil society, media and the educational institutions need >>> to join hands to oversee that less violation of the provisions occur. Mrs >>> Tuli: once I organized a seminar and invited parliamentarians to >>> participate. We invited people with disabilities to show their skills. >>> There was a visually challenged typist and he took dictation and wrote a >>> flowless letter. Then one of the MPS instantly stood up and said: >>> “I’ll fire my current secretary and hire him†the house resonates >>> with huge applause! Mrs Tuli: the stage and the dius where we are sitting >>> is inaccessible. No wheelchair could come on the stage. Then one >>> officials rebuffs Mrs Tuli: “madam, the door on your back is rolling >>> one which enables wheelchair come aboard on the dius…†Next Speaker: PK >>> Pinchaw (former CCPD) Mr Pinncchaw: This Act seeks to amplify the civil >>> and political rights of PWDS. Mr Pinchaw: If I am Divyang, then trust me >>> you all are divyang. Including the minister and the other government >>> officials. Mr Pinchaw: The powers of CCPD and the State CCPDS have been >>> widened under the Act. But the quality enhancement of the powers of the >>> CCPD and the State CCPDS have not been enhanced. Mr Pinchaw: section75(B) >>> CCPD instead of consulting advisory body should have discretionary powers >>> to take suuomotive decisions. Next speaker: Mr SK Rungta Mr Rungta: >>> Before I talk about the challenges, I want to talk about some facts from >>> the history. We need to think about how the challenges before CCPD >>> different in the RPD Bill than they had in the PWDA 1995 act. The >>> difference is that in the RPD Act we have 3 commissioners and one >>> advisory committee. Mr Rungta: The word Recommendation in the Act is >>> problematic. And You have gone ahead and said that the government >>> department may inform whether it wants to accept the recommendation or >>> not within stipulated time. That’s over. Mr Rungta: there is another >>> problem, if any publick servant commits an offence then one needs to take >>> sanction. What is this if not cercomvention. Mr Rungta: There is no >>> clarity about what role an advisory committee will play. Mr Rungta: There >>> is a need to mainstreaming of grievance redressal cell with other laws >>> such as labour laws. Why it was not done in the Act if could be done >>> under the rules. Next Speaker: AK Awasthi (JT Sec CCPD) Mr Awasthi: rules >>> will continue to be amended. Beyond 14th April th day when we are likely >>> to publish. Mr Awassthi: One information: today Election Commission has >>> launched the website where there is a separate column for the >>> registration of different types of disabilities. Mr Awasthi: The Centre >>> is formulating the rules but the key is when different states create >>> rules and notify. We may also prepare model draft once we are done with >>> publishing of rules for the Central Government Department. Next Speaker: >>> Sara Varghese (CBM) Mrs Varghese: I’ve been asked to speak here cause >>> we work at the grassroot through our partners. Mrs Varghese: we need to >>> create awareness at all levels. Mrs Varghese: we will have to think that >>> how we can coordinate discussion amongst different types of disabilities. >>> Mrs Varghese: people with disabilities should be included in the disaster >>> management preparedness programmes. Mrs Varghese: the basic principle of >>> the disability movement ‘Nothing about us without us’ is there in >>> this room. But how many committees at the village and the district levels >>> have PWDs on the committees roles. Next Speaker: Mr Dhariwal Former >>> Deputy CCPD Mr Dhariwal: creating of funds in the states is a challenge. >>> The Central government provides funding to the DEPWD but what about >>> states where separate disability department is non-existent in the >>> majority of states. We need to organize one conference with the Chief >>> Ministers of all the states where Prime Minister appeals them to take up >>> the fund creation challenge seriously. We break for lunch now. networking >>> beguns. I’m hearing numbers being exchanged. Now I happen to meet one >>> of the employee with disability in the CCPD Office. She is a woman who >>> has locomotor disability. She shares her agony of inaccessible bus-stops >>> in Delhi. My friend Yogesh soon heard Prof Dayal sir voice and alerts me >>> “dayal sir is also here†we exchanged pleasantries. The food is >>> very tasty indeed. The pure Punjabi-Delhi cuisine. We were served food on >>> the table by the caterers. The CCPD Office seemed to be mindful of the >>> fact that blind guys need attendant and they took care of it. We are done >>> with lunch and tummy is full. Lets go back to the seminar hall where next >>> session is about to take off. Next session: on the same issue continues >>> Speaker: Dr Anil Aneja EOC head DU Mr Aneja: the first challenge which I >>> see as a hurdle is section 3(3) which deals with discrimination. Mr >>> Aneja: there are certain clauses in the act which offer escape route to >>> the government from not abiding by the law in true spirit. Mr Aneja: >>> Unfortunately, in the section32 under the act, There has no clear >>> guidelines available to implement 5 per cent reservation in the higher >>> educational institutions. The provision for providing assistive tools to >>> pWDs in higher education is not envisaged under the act. Mr Rungta >>> who’s chairing the session responds to Dr Aneja. Mr Rungta: We are >>> fighting for the section 3(3) to be more stronger as far as protection of >>> PWDS from discrimination. Next Speaker: Mr Subhash Vashishth Mr >>> Vashishth: Unless you invoke the law it doesn’t work. Mr Vashishth: >>> Section4 The positive interpretations and provisions of older laws and >>> judgment should be retained. Mr Vashishth: Section 3(5)Reasonable >>> accommodation is not properly defined for the each type of disabled >>> category. Mr Vashishth: perhaps the government alone can’t bring >>> transformation in the lives of pWDs. Mr Vashishth: the Office of CCPD has >>> undue responsibility in the Act but it lacks shortage of staf and >>> resources. The situation at the state level is more pathetic. Mr >>> Vashishth: The promotion aspect should be taken care of. The career >>> growth of employees with disabilities should not be obstructed due to >>> unavailability of assistive tools. Mr Vashisht: the insurance should not >>> be only for employees with disabilities. Mr Vashisht: the law doesn’t >>> incorporate the responsibility of private schools which is disturbing. Mr >>> Vashisht: section 34 is only restricted to identified disabled >>> categories. What about those disabled categories who are related to >>> blood-related disorders. They have nothing in the law. Let me give some >>> of my observations Avinash: I’m skipping some of the speakers cause >>> they are just celling their NGOs through PPTs and their points are of no >>> relevance to the seminar theme. Sorry, My discretion, since its my >>> nnotes; no? Few important details to note: No deaf representatives no >>> sighn language interpretation. And the seminar is of national character, >>> they say. No woman with disability among the speakers in the entire >>> seminar. No SC/ST/religious minorities speakers on the dius. Sorry, the >>> sociological analyses is needed cause it’s a national seminar! Next >>> Speaker: Prof Gaba from IGNOU Mr Gaba: I don’t think we will be able to >>> provide justice to all 21 categories of disabled people in the coming 100 >>> years. Next speaker SK Mishra IGNOU Mr Mishra: I searched the whole act >>> and found the mentioning of the word ‘university’ only at two places. >>> Sohigher education has been neglected and it should find special >>> mentioning in the rules. Mr Mishra: we have two model universities in the >>> disability sector. RambhatraCharya University in Chitrikut in 2001 and >>> Shakuntala Mishra Rehabilitation University in Lucknow 2008. Mr Mishra: >>> the 11 five year plan made provision for setting up of disability studies >>> in the universities and twelve plan proposed to provide incentives to >>> disabled pupil and faculty. And it also proposed to provide funding to >>> universities to be disabled-friendly. Mr Mishra: The IGNOU has the >>> enrolment of around 10 thousand students with disabilities. Avinash: Very >>> interesting figure indeed. Mr Mishra: our reading materials are >>> accessible to all distant students. Mr Mishra: the biggest challenge for >>> imparting the distance education is the lack of regional study centres >>> equipped with disability-sensitive model. Next Speaker: Satender Singh >>> GTB Hospital Dr Singh: Neither I’m divyang nor mr Awasthi, but we have >>> different outlook to view our problems. The ramp leading to the stage is >>> too uneven that one employee of the CCPD Office wanted to give flower-pot >>> to one of the speakers but couldn’t climb. The ‘accessible toilet’ >>> on the second floor has no light inside. Mr Singh: In the Budget 2017-18 >>> nowhere the Finance Minister talked about the RPD Bill. From where the >>> money will flow to implement the Act? Mr Sinngh: as per ‘sugamya Bharat >>> Abhiyan’ We should have achieved A1/A2 stations around 1081 stations >>> should have been accessible by now. But where are we, go to New Delhi >>> Railway Station you would not find a lift. Mr Singh: The allocation for >>> the promotion of sports among disabled has been slashed to 0.4 crores >>> from last year’s Rs 4 crore. It all happened when disabled players won >>> medals in the Paralympics and the Twenty WC cricket cup for the blind. Mr >>> Singh: the clubbing of different types of disabilities in the reservation >>> bracket will lead to infighting among the different groupings. AAH! The >>> speakers have eaten time for the next session which was open session and >>> we didn’t get the opportunity to listen the state commissioners who >>> have travelled from different parts of the country to share their >>> challenges which they encounter on the ground. And We also can’t ask >>> questions. Perhaps this has become the norm in government-sponsored >>> seminars where speakers tactically eat out time and leave no scope for >>> the audience and the observers. Anyway, Mr Gehlot the Minister will grace >>> the occasion in the final session. The final session Valedictory Mr >>> Gehlot MSJE is gonna address the audience. Mr Gehlot: A human being’s >>> life is always better if we are in student mode. Learning is a continuum >>> craving. Mr Gehlot: we are not keeping with the pace in the disability >>> empowerment and need to step our efforts to catch up with the develop >>> world. Mr Gehlot: our culture our tradition have been of vasudhev >>> kutumbhakun; but are we really inclusive for the ‘divyang’? lets >>> introspect. Lets shun the attitude of contempt towards the ‘divyang’. >>> Mr Gehlot: we are planning to provide universal identity card to the >>> ‘divyang’. The card will be valid throughout the country. Mr Gehlot: >>> New announcement: from 1st April 2017, we will start coaching classes for >>> children with disabilities in the country. Mr Gehlot: general people keep >>> complaining, why are you giving this reservation to the disabled. Where >>> will we go? opportunities are limited in the publick sector. Mr Gehlot: I >>> was in Scotland recently where representatives of 65 countries came to >>> the conference, and I am elated to inform you they have acknowledged in >>> their speeches the efforts being taken by the Modi Government for the >>> empowerment of the PWDs. Mr Gehlot: in the last two and a half years we >>> have organized more than 4 thousand 7 hundred publick camps and >>> distributed equipments. Mr Gehlot: I’m happy to see those disabled who >>> were dependent upon their parants now take care of their families. This >>> is the spirit which encourage us. Friends, that’s the end of the >>> seminar. I however would like to mention that They don’t realize the >>> fact that democracy is a system where regimes get changes. that there >>> were many speakers from our community who were very opportunistic. What >>> they say in rallies or on Access India they actually sound opposite in >>> front of the minister. I need not to name, I know they will mind their >>> behavior. I can also sing song of the government but sorry this doesn’t >>> suit my vocation and profession. I am not into NGO business, I’m a pure >>> academician and works for the entire nation. I know the power of >>> democracy and can’t give in before the wave which is too temporary. -- >>> 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To >>> unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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.. >> >> >> >> with warm regards >> Mahendra Galani >> Whatsapp/Viber/Skype/Imo/Facetime +43 699 174 555 95 >> Festnetz +43 1 961 77 47 >> Addresse, Arneth gasse 45/2/2 >> 1160 Vienna, Austria, Europe >> >> >> >> >> 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to >> accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in >> 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
