Understanding the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill is an important legislation in India. It aims to ensure the rights and entitlements of individuals with disabilities and provide for their inclusion and participation in society.

This bill replaced the earlier Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. The new bill expanded the definition of disability and increased the number of specified disabilities from 7 to 21. It also incorporated the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which India ratified.

Year the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill was Passed

Let's look at the timeline related to this significant bill.

• The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament of India) in February 2014.
• After deliberation and amendments, the Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on December 14, 2016.
• Subsequently, it was passed by the Lok Sabha (the lower house) on December 16, 2016.
• The Bill received the assent of the President of India on December 28, 2016, and became an Act.
• The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 came into force on December 28, 2016.

Therefore, the year the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill was passed by the Indian Parliament is 2016.