Doctor with disability harassed at station
The Hindu, NEW DELHI, November 1, 2015
A senior government doctor with 70 per cent orthopaedic disability was allegedly harassed and put to inconvenience at the New Delhi railway station early this week. The physician complained that his journey turned into a nightmare because of the highly insensitive behaviour of railway officials there.
“On October 27, I reached the New Delhi railway station to catch my train Kashi Vishwanath from New Delhi to Bareilly,’’ said Dr. Satendra Singh. “From platform 1, I had to reach platform 8; so I asked for a battery-operated car stating I am a disabled person. The man at the counter told me that the service had stopped.
Wheelchair facility was a paid service. Besides, the lift available was not connected to the platform that I wanted to go to,” said Dr. Singh.
Later, a railway official on duty explained that there is a payment issue of the battery car operators. Hence this facility has stopped for the past one-and-a-half months.
“I made a written complaint (number 34) and got a receipt. With great difficulty, I climbed steps and reached platform 8, where I saw a battery-operated car ferrying passengers to platform 10. I clicked a few photographs. This means both the railways officials deliberately gave me false information despite seeing me in crutches. Their signed letter is the testimony,” said Dr. Singh.
He was also misinformed about the platform on which his train had come in. “I managed to catch my train just in time from another platform,” he said.
Meanwhile, responding to Dr. Singh’s official complaint, Anant Swarup, executive director (Public Grievances), Ministry of Railways, said, “A complaint has been received from our valued passenger regarding harassment and misbehaviour by railway staff. Please enquire into the matter immediately and send a report at the earliest.”
Source: The Hindu (1 Nov 15)
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Success: IITs to take back disability pic order
IITs can no longer ask students with disabilities applying for the JEE (Advanced) test to submit a photograph showing their disability. The order was issued on a complaint filed by a Delhi University Professor who had earlier forced the UPSC to withdraw a "discriminatory" form.
IITs asked to stop using disability photos in applications
Hindustan Times, new Delhi, 3rd Nov 2015
NEW DELHI: The court of the chief commissioner of persons with disability (CCPD) has asked IITs to stop making physically-challenged applicants of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) JEE-Advanced fill forms and attach a picture of their disability as it amounts to discrimination. The CCPD wrote to IIT-Bombay on October 28.
Around 1.5 lakh students, who qualify the JEE Mains, are eligible to sit for the JEE Advance. Of the total seats, 3% is reserved for students with disability.
“IITs should stop using the form and adhere to the format of disability certificate as provided in the People with Disability Amendment Rules 2009,” reads the letter from the commissioner.
The CCPD has also said that the candidature of the candidates should not be cancelled on the basis of a different format of the disability certificate.
The CCPD also asked the IITs to provide the details of action taken within 30 days from the receipt of the letter. The matter was highlighted after Professor Satendra Singh, co-ordinator of the enabling unit of the University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi), filed a complaint with the court of commissioner.
“In July this year, I received an email from a student about IIT using a different disability performa. Earlier too, I had raised a similar issue with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) form. Since it is a violation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Amendment Rules, 2009, which clearly states that a photograph of the face is required in the disability certificate, I wrote to the commissioner,” said Singh.
Earlier too, on Singh’s complaint, the court of CCPD had directed the UPSC to withdraw similar performa asking candidates to attach photo ‘showing’ disability. So in November 2014, the UPSC complied with the commissioner’s letter and discontinued the discriminatory performa.
Students who have gone through this process think it was not required.
“When a disability certificate from a doctor was being submitted, why was there a need to show one’s disability? Such discriminatory rules need to be abandoned all together and authorities need to be more sensitive towards people with disability,” said a first-year computer science student at IIT-Khargapur.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/iits-asked-to-stop-using-disability-photos-in-applications/story-ooKM1jGog3BJ8ZFNPvJ9oK.html
IITs asked to stop using disability photos in applications
Hindustan Times, new Delhi, 3rd Nov 2015
NEW DELHI: The court of the chief commissioner of persons with disability (CCPD) has asked IITs to stop making physically-challenged applicants of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) JEE-Advanced fill forms and attach a picture of their disability as it amounts to discrimination. The CCPD wrote to IIT-Bombay on October 28.
Around 1.5 lakh students, who qualify the JEE Mains, are eligible to sit for the JEE Advance. Of the total seats, 3% is reserved for students with disability.
“IITs should stop using the form and adhere to the format of disability certificate as provided in the People with Disability Amendment Rules 2009,” reads the letter from the commissioner.
The CCPD has also said that the candidature of the candidates should not be cancelled on the basis of a different format of the disability certificate.
The CCPD also asked the IITs to provide the details of action taken within 30 days from the receipt of the letter. The matter was highlighted after Professor Satendra Singh, co-ordinator of the enabling unit of the University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi), filed a complaint with the court of commissioner.
“In July this year, I received an email from a student about IIT using a different disability performa. Earlier too, I had raised a similar issue with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) form. Since it is a violation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Amendment Rules, 2009, which clearly states that a photograph of the face is required in the disability certificate, I wrote to the commissioner,” said Singh.
Earlier too, on Singh’s complaint, the court of CCPD had directed the UPSC to withdraw similar performa asking candidates to attach photo ‘showing’ disability. So in November 2014, the UPSC complied with the commissioner’s letter and discontinued the discriminatory performa.
Students who have gone through this process think it was not required.
“When a disability certificate from a doctor was being submitted, why was there a need to show one’s disability? Such discriminatory rules need to be abandoned all together and authorities need to be more sensitive towards people with disability,” said a first-year computer science student at IIT-Khargapur.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/iits-asked-to-stop-using-disability-photos-in-applications/story-ooKM1jGog3BJ8ZFNPvJ9oK.html
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Saturday, October 24, 2015
‘Make hospital websites disabled-friendly’
Health care and disability rights activists have demanded that the Delhi government speed-up the process of making the websites of its hospitals disabled-friendly.
Disability rights activist Dr. Satendra Singh said: “Last October, I filed a petition in the Court of Commissioner, Persons with Disabilities (GNCTD), that the websites of hospitals of the Delhi government are not disabled-friendly. Hearings were then held with officials of the Health and IT departments.”
Dr. Singh added that the Court had passed an order with instructions to the Secretary, IT and Health, to submit a final action taken report in three months.
The order states that not just websites of hospitals, but those of all departments, and local and autonomous bodies under the Delhi government be made disabled-friendly. “We showed them how the ‘web accessibility evaluation tool’ of the Delhi government website had 110 errors, while the website of the Department of Disability Affairs showed no errors, and that of the Commissioner (Disability) had two. Web accessibility not only helps the disabled, but also the elderly, those with low vision, seizures, dyslexia, colour blind, slow internet connections and those with dexterity problems,” noted Dr. Singh.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/make-hospital-websites-disabledfriendly/article7798439.ece
Tthe online registration form http://dshm.delhi.gov.in/mis/(S(m2ebikg1ttcwdrrekqcel5l4))/opr/frmNewUserRegistration.aspx is not accessible to many due to the image CAPTCHA (see image and type characters). After a long struggle IRCTC agreed to provide an alternative to this. They now provide a one time password on mobile phone which has to be entered in the website. Without such kind of option, this is totally inaccessible to visually impaired users.
Dr Satendra Singh (Petitioner) and Prashant Ranjan Verma (Joint Secretary, National Association for the Blind) conducted a sensitization workshop also for the officials of IT Dept and Health at Delhi Secretariat on 16 Oct 2015.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Success: Delhi Govt starts drafting policy for disabled
My RTI earlier highlighted the lack of State Policy on Disability in the capital. Action has now been taken on my complaint to CM office.
NEW DELHI: The department of social welfare has written to the deputy director (disabilities) after the latter wrote an action taken letter following TOI's July 12 report on how even 20 years after passing of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, there is no state policy on disability in the capital.
The department informed the drafting of the policy is under process and the matter of a separate department on disability will also be taken up with the higher authorities on Friday.
Acting on the grievances of Dr Satendra Singh, coordinator of the enabling unit of the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi University, the department in its letter dated July 24 stated, "With reference to the grievance of Dr Satendra Singh with respect to news published in TOI dated July 12, 2015, as well as from the CAG performance audit ... drafting of state policy for Delhi is under process. The file has been moved for the reconstitution of state coordination committee and state executive committee and the matter of separate department on disability will be put up for views of higher authority."
Govt starts drafting policy for disabled
NEW DELHI: The department of social welfare has written to the deputy director (disabilities) after the latter wrote an action taken letter following TOI's July 12 report on how even 20 years after passing of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, there is no state policy on disability in the capital. The department informed the drafting of the policy is under process and the matter of a separate department on disability will also be taken up with the higher authorities on Friday.
Acting on the grievances of Dr Satendra Singh, coordinator of the enabling unit of the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi University, the department in its letter dated July 24 stated, "With reference to the grievance of Dr Satendra Singh with respect to news published in TOI dated July 12, 2015, as well as from the CAG performance audit ... drafting of state policy for Delhi is under process. The file has been moved for the reconstitution of state coordination committee and state executive committee and the matter of separate department on disability will be put up for views of higher authority."
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
एक आदमी के धर्मयुद्ध ने विकलांग डॉकटरो के लिए खोली सीएचएस की नौकरियाँ
एक हजार से अधिक केंद्रीय स्वास्थ्य सेवा (सीएचएस) की नौकरियों से विकलांग डॉक्टरों को बाहर रखने के बाद स्वास्थ्य मंत्रालय ने सीएचएस के शिक्षण, गैर-शिक्षण और सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य विशेषज्ञ काडरों को विकलांग डॉक्टरों
के
लिए
खोलने का फैसला किया है।
यह
निर्णय
न्याय के लिए एक विकलांग
डॉक्टर की चार साल से अधिक
अथक लड़ाई का परिणाम है।
यह सब 2011में शुरू हुआ जब डॉ सतेन्द्र सिंह, जो यूनिवर्सिटी कॉलेज ऑफ मेडिकल साइंसेज और
गुरु तेग बहादुर अस्पताल
दिल्ली
में
2008 से
शरीर विज्ञान
(फिजियोलॉजी) के सहायक प्रोफेसर है, ने संघ लोक सेवा आयोग (यूपीएससी) के माध्यम से सीएचएस के
शिक्षण विशेषज्ञ सहायक प्रोफेसर (शरीर क्रिया विज्ञान) के पद के लिए आवेदन किया। वह इसी पद पर कार्यरत थे पर उन्हें साक्षात्कार के लिए नहीं बुलाया गया।
डॉ सिंह, जिनका दाहिना पैर पोलियो से प्रभावित है, 70% विकलांगता से
प्रमाणित है। मेडिकल काउंसिल ऑफ इंडिया मेडिकल कॉलेज प्रवेश
में
, केवल निचले अंग की
40% और 70% के बीच विकलांगता वाले व्यक्तियों के लिए 3% आरक्षण देता है। तथापि, ऐसी कई छात्रों को, जिन्होंने एमबीबीएस और पोस्ट-स्नातक स्तर की पढ़ाई पूरी कर ली को संघ लोक सेवा आयोग के माध्यम से भर्ती की जाने वाली विशेषज्ञ सेवाओं से बाहर रखा गया। '
'
उन्हें कभी नहीं बताया जाता है की
संघ लोक सेवा आयोग
ने उनका आवेदन क्यों ख़ारिज किया । मैं एक स्थायी नौकरी
में
हूँ। मैं दिल्ली में हूँ। अस्वीकार कर दिए गए कितने विकलांग डॉक्टर अदालत में या यहां तक कि संघ लोक सेवा आयोग
में जाते हैं?'
'
डॉ सिंह, जो दिल्ली मेडिकल काउंसिल
के
भी एक सदस्य
हैं,
ने कहा।
डॉ सिंह के
मुताबिक उन्होंने उन्होंने अपनी विकलांगता का उल्लेख इसीलिए किया क्योंकि यह आवेदन पत्र की मांग की थी
ना की विकलांग कोटा का फायदा उठाने के लिए (इस पोस्ट पर वैसे भी विकलांग कोटा नहीं है)।
साक्षात्कार
कॉल नहीं आने पर मैंने संघ लोक सेवा आयोग में पता किया जिस पर उन्होंने मुझे बताया की विकलांग होने के कारण मुझे उपयुक्त नहीं पाया गया है
।
यह
इस तथ्य के बावजूद कि मैं केंद्र सरकार
के अधीन एक मेडिकल कॉलेज
में स्थायी पद पर सहायक प्रोफेसर के रूप में कार्य कर रहां हूँ, डा.सिंह ने कहा।
तत्पश्चात् उन्होंने केन्द्रीय प्रशासनिक न्यायाधिकरण में केस किया
जिसके बाद
संघ लोक सेवा आयोग
ने उन्हें
साक्षात्कार के लिए के लिए बुलाया पर चयनित नहीं किया। 2013 में में उन्होंने इसी पद के लिए दुबारा से फिर आवेदन किया ताकि पता चले की इन लोग का रवैय्या विकलांग प्रार्थियों के लिए बदला है या नहीं। ऑनलाइन पंजीकरण
में जब उन्होंने विकलांगता, प्रकार और प्रतिशत के बक्से भरे तो उन्हें
जवाब मिला "क्षमा करें, आप इस पद के लिए योग्य नहीं हैं।" इन वर्षो में फिर से कुछ भी नहीं बदला था।
डॉ सिंह ने
अनुमति प्राप्त करने के लिए
न्यायालय मुख्य आयुक्त
निशक्तजन की अदालत का दरवाजा खटखटाया और
स्वास्थ्य मंत्रालय
को भी लिखा। उन्हें तुरंत अनुमति मिल गयी पर संघ लोक सेवा आयोग ने कुछ अज्ञात कारणों से शरीर विज्ञान में हो रहे सभी साक्षात्कार को रद्द कर दिया।
"मुझे आवेदन की अनुमति दी गयी पर मेरे जैसे अन्य
विकलांग उम्मीदवारों के बारे में क्या? मैं चाहता हूँ यह नीति सभी विकलांग अभ्यर्थियों के लिए बदली जाये ना सिर्फ मेरे लिए और इसलिए मैंने इस मुद्दे को उठाने का फैसला किया," डॉ सिंह ने कहा।
एक आरटीआई आवेदन के माध्यम से, डॉ सिंह को पता चला कि सीएचएस के तहत
सभी विशेषज्ञ
पद (शिक्षण, गैर-शिक्षण या सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य
)
, विकलांग व्यक्तियों के लिए उपयुक्त नहीं पाये गए हैं।
"एक एमबीबीएस या एमडी / एमएस (स्नातकोत्तर) की डिग्री
के लिए
सभी विकलांग मेडिकल छात्रों को इंटर्नशिप के दौरान आपरेशन थिएटर, ओपीडी और आपातकालीन पोस्टिंग में पूर्णता भाग
लेना
होता है। इन सब को करने के बावजूद वे कैसे हमें अनुपयुक्त कह सकते हैं?
यह तो चौंकाने वाला था।
इसीलिए दिसंबर 2014 में, मैंने सीएचएस के तहत सभी विशेषज्ञ पदों को विकलांग डॉक्टरों के लिए
खोले जाने का अनुरोध स्वास्थ्य मंत्री को पत्र लिख कर किया "डॉ सिंह ने कहा।
यद्यपि
स्वास्थ्य
मंत्री
ने
कार्यवाही की पर बार-बार मंत्रालय के अधिकारियों
को
अनुस्मारक भेजने के बाद
व बार बार फ़ोन करने के पश्चात ही डॉ सिंह
को बताया गया की सभी सीएचएस पदों को
विकलांग व्यक्तियों के लिए डॉक्टरों के लिए
खोले जाने का अनुरोध
मान लिया गया है। तथापि, उन्हें आदेश की प्रति नहीं दी गयी।
अंत में 6 जून को एक आरटीआई आवेदन
से उन्होंने यह
प्रतिलिपि प्राप्त की।
डॉ सिंह के हठ के लिए धन्यवाद, शिक्षण विशेषज्ञ उप संवर्ग में 756 पदों, गैर-शिक्षण विशेषज्ञ उप संवर्ग में 770 पदों और सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य विशेषज्ञ उप संवर्ग में 78 पदों को विकलांग डॉक्टरों के लिए खोल दिया गया है।
"प्रधानमंत्री मोदी
ने
विश्व विकलांगता दिवस के अवसर पर ट्वीट
कर हम विकलांग लोगों को 'हीरोज'
/
नायक
कहा। दुर्भाग्यवश इन नायकों को
अपने अधिकारों के लिए अदालतों के चक्कर काटने पड़ते हैं और एक सरकारी डॉक्टर को एक सरकारी आदेश प्राप्त करने के लिए एक आरटीआई दायर करने पर विवश होना पड़ता है
,"
डॉ सिंह ने कहा।
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/One-mans-crusade-opens-up-CHS-jobs-for-disabled-doctors/articleshow/47661044.cms
Thursday, July 16, 2015
No State Policy on Disability in the Capital even after 20 years of PwD Act
Delhi lacks policy to look after disabled
Manash Pratim Gohain,TNN | Jul 12, 2015
NEW DELHI: Nearly 2% of the population of Delhi falls in the persons with disability category. However, 20 years after passing of the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, there is no state policy on disability in place in the national capital.
The Act was notified by the Delhi government in 2001, but successive governments have done little beyond that. While it took three years to just constitute the State Coordination Committee and State Executive Committee—to be reconstituted every three years—RTI replies have revealed that no meetings of the committees had taken place since 2012.
This sorry state of affairs was highlighted even by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in 2014 and yet, barring the process of reconstitution of SCC and SEC being initiated, no action has been taken even by the new government in office since February.
According to Section 13 of Disabilities Act, every state government shall, by notification, constitute SCC and SEC. Going by census 2011, Delhi has a population of 2.35 lakh disabled people. "This figure is underreported. The real number is likely to be around 2%," said Dr Satendra Singh, coordinator, enabling unit, University College of Medical Sciences. It is Singh who had filed the RTI.
Even today there is no comprehensive state policy on disability. Chhattisgarh was the first state in the country to have formulated a state policy in 2006, while the latest is Kerala in 2014. The CAG audit of the department of social welfare, the nodal office for implementation of the Act, has highlighted that the department did not conduct any independent door-to-door survey to create a comprehensive database of disabled residing in Delhi and "it did not develop the state disability policy to address the issues of persons with disability".
CAG reported that "government buildings and public spaces lacked facilities for disabled" and "Asha Kiran Complex, meant for mentally challenged persons, is over-burdened with 970 inmates against its capacity of 350; it has only 215 caring staff against a requirement of 502". "Though SCC and SEC were supposed to have met 20 and 40 times, respectively, they have met just five times. There has been no meeting since 2012, as seen in the replies," Singh said.
The latest RTI application revealed that the AAP government has initiated the process of reconstitution of both SCC and SEC, but there are no record available on advice given by the government on formulation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects related to disability. Sandeep Kumar, minister for social welfare, could not be contacted.
"The new government has a four-point disability agenda but no task force to implement this has been formed. I brought this to the notice of Delhi Dialogue Commission," Singh said.
Source: Times of India, 12 July 2015
Manash Pratim Gohain,TNN | Jul 12, 2015
NEW DELHI: Nearly 2% of the population of Delhi falls in the persons with disability category. However, 20 years after passing of the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, there is no state policy on disability in place in the national capital.
The Act was notified by the Delhi government in 2001, but successive governments have done little beyond that. While it took three years to just constitute the State Coordination Committee and State Executive Committee—to be reconstituted every three years—RTI replies have revealed that no meetings of the committees had taken place since 2012.
This sorry state of affairs was highlighted even by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in 2014 and yet, barring the process of reconstitution of SCC and SEC being initiated, no action has been taken even by the new government in office since February.
According to Section 13 of Disabilities Act, every state government shall, by notification, constitute SCC and SEC. Going by census 2011, Delhi has a population of 2.35 lakh disabled people. "This figure is underreported. The real number is likely to be around 2%," said Dr Satendra Singh, coordinator, enabling unit, University College of Medical Sciences. It is Singh who had filed the RTI. Even today there is no comprehensive state policy on disability. Chhattisgarh was the first state in the country to have formulated a state policy in 2006, while the latest is Kerala in 2014. The CAG audit of the department of social welfare, the nodal office for implementation of the Act, has highlighted that the department did not conduct any independent door-to-door survey to create a comprehensive database of disabled residing in Delhi and "it did not develop the state disability policy to address the issues of persons with disability".
CAG reported that "government buildings and public spaces lacked facilities for disabled" and "Asha Kiran Complex, meant for mentally challenged persons, is over-burdened with 970 inmates against its capacity of 350; it has only 215 caring staff against a requirement of 502". "Though SCC and SEC were supposed to have met 20 and 40 times, respectively, they have met just five times. There has been no meeting since 2012, as seen in the replies," Singh said.
The latest RTI application revealed that the AAP government has initiated the process of reconstitution of both SCC and SEC, but there are no record available on advice given by the government on formulation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects related to disability. Sandeep Kumar, minister for social welfare, could not be contacted.
"The new government has a four-point disability agenda but no task force to implement this has been formed. I brought this to the notice of Delhi Dialogue Commission," Singh said.
Source: Times of India, 12 July 2015
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