BasicPrimeronthePersonswithDisabilities

Source:www.anevagi.com
Author:c.bikram
Publishedon:August21,2014

BasicPrimeronthePersons
withDisabilities(Equal
Opportunities,Protectionof
RightsAndFull
Participation)Act,1995

c.bikram'sProfileand
details
Iamalawyer
workingoutof
Pune,Maharashtra,
India.Iamcurrentlya
PartnerinAbhay
Nevagi&Associates,
Advocates.

ThePersonswithDisabilities(EqualOpportunities,ProtectionofRightsandFull
Participation)Act,1995(allshorttheAct)isanaffirmativeactionlegislationaimedat
levelingthefieldofopportunitiesforpersonswithdisabilitiesasdefinedintheActvisvis
thosethatdonotsufferfromdisabilities.AsobservedbytheHon'bleSupremeCourtofIndia
inKunalSinghv.UnionofIndia[2],theneedforacomprehensivelegislationfor
safeguardingtherightsofpersonswithdisabilities,forenablingthemtoenjoyequal
opportunitiesandtohelpthemtofullyparticipateinnationallifewasfeltforalongtime,and
theActprovidessomesortofsuccortothedisabledpersons.
TheideologicalfoundationsoftheActwerelaidintheMeetingtoLaunchtheAsianand
PacificDecadeofDisabledPersons19932002,convenedbytheEconomicandSocial
CommissionforAsiaandPacificheldatBeijingon1stto5thDecember1992.The
participantsinthesaidMeeting,includingIndia,signedtheProclamationontheFull
ParticipationandEqualityofPeoplewithDisabilitiesintheAsianandPacificRegionand,as
asignatory,theneedwasfeltinIndiatoenactasuitablelegislationtoprovideforseveral
factorsdiscussedintheaforementionedMeeting.Thus,theActcametobepassedin1995.
TheActaimstoprovideeducation,employmentopportunitiesandsocialsecuritytothe
disabledinIndia.TheActalsoplacesalargeimpetusonmedicaltreatment,research,
preventionandearlydetectionofdisabilitiesandmanpowerdevelopment.
Disabilityhasbeendefinedtomeanblindness,lowvision,leprosycured,hearing
impairment,locomotordisability,mentalretardation,mentalillness.Mostoftheaforesaid
termshavealsobeenseparatelydefinedintheAct.
TheapplicabilityoftheActisrestrictedtoestablishmentsasdefinedinSection2(k)thereof.
Thesaiddefinitionreadsasunder
establishmentmeansacorporationestablishedbyorunderaCentral,ProvincialorState
Act,oranauthorityorabodyownedorcontrolledoraidedbytheGovernmentoralocal
authorityoraGovernmentcompanyasdefinedinSection617oftheCompaniesAct,1956(1
of1956)andincludesDepartmentofaGovernment.
Aprimafacieglanceattheabovedefinitionsuggeststhattheresponsibilityofcompliance
withtheActliesonlywiththeGovernmentandStateentities.Inthehumbleopinionofthe
Author,thiswouldmeanthatentitiesthatcomewithinthedefinitionandmeaningofState

underArticle12oftheConstitutionofIndiamaycomewithinthepurviewoftheAct.This
wouldnecessarilyexcludeprivateentitiesnotperforminganystatutoryfunctions,ornot
receivingsubstantialfundingfromtheGovernment,etc.However,onaccountofthewords
meansacorporationestablishedbyorunderaCentral,ProvincialorStateActinthe
definitionofestablishment,therehasbeensomespeculationthattheActismeanttoall
inclusiveandinvolvesnonstateentitiessuchascompaniesundertheCompaniesAct,1956,
cooperativesocieties,etc.byvirtueofsuchentitiesbeingestablishedinconsonancewith
statutoryprovisions.TheissueappearstohavebeensettledbytheHon'bleSupremeCourtin
thematterofDalcoEngineeringPrivateLtd.v.ShreeSatishPrabhakarPadhyeandOrs.
[CivilAppealNos.1858&1886of2007,decidedon31.03.2010].
Whileobservingbywayofanexamplethata`company'isincorporatedandregisteredunder,
andisnotestablishedunder,theCompaniesAct,a3JudgeBenchintheaforesaidcaseheld
asunder:
Weagreethatthesocioeconomiclegislationsshouldbeinterpretedliberally.Itisalsotrue
thatCourtsshouldadoptdifferentyardsticksandmeasuresforinterpretingsocioeconomic
statutes,ascomparedtopenalstatutes,andtaxingstatutes.Butacaveat.Thecourtscannot
obviouslyexpandtheapplicationofaprovisioninasocioeconomiclegislationbyjudicial
interpretation,tolevelsunintendedbythelegislature,orinamannerwhichmilitatesagainst
theprovisionsofthestatuteitselforagainstanyconstitutionallimitations.Inthiscase,there
isaclearindicationinthestatute,thatthebenefitisintendedtoberestrictedtoaparticular
classofemployees,thatisemployeesofenumeratedestablishments(whichfallwithinthe
scopeofstateunderArticle12).Expresslimitationsplacedbythesocioeconomicstatute
cannotbeignored,soastoincludeinitsapplication,thosewhoareclearlyexcludedbysuch
statuteitself.Weshouldnotlosesightofthefactthatthewords"corporationestablishedby
orunderaCentral,ProvincialorStateAct"isatermusedinseveralenactments,intendedto
conveyastandardmeaning.Itisnotatermwhichhasanyspecialsignificanceormeaningin
thecontextoftheDisabilitiesActoranyothersocioeconomiclegislations.Itisatermused
invariousenactments,torefertostatutorycorporationsascontrastedfromnonstatutory
companies.Anyinterpretationofthesaidterm,toincludeprivatesector,willnotonly
amounttooverrulingtheclearenunciationinDhanoa[3]whichhasheldthefieldfornearly
threedecades,butmoreimportantlyleadtotheerasureofthedistinctionmaintainedinthe
Constitutionbetweenstatutorycorporationswhicharestateandnonstatutorybodiesand
corporations,forpurposesofenforcementoffundamentalrights.Theinterpretationputforth
bytheemployeewouldmakeemployeesofallcompanies,publicservants,amenableto
punishmentundertheprovisionsofIndianPenalCodeandPreventionofCorruptionActand
wouldalsoresultinallnonstatutorycompaniesandprivatesectorcompaniesbeingincluded
inthedefinitionofStatetherebyrequiringthemtocomplywiththerequirementsofnon
discrimination,equalityinemployment,reservationsetc.

TheActalsoseekstopunishpersonstakingfraudulentadvantageofitsbeneficialprovisions.
Toavail,ortoattempttoavail,anybenefitoftheActfraudulentlycaninvitecriminal
prosecution.ThepunishmentprescribedisimprisonmentforuptotwoyearsorafineuptoRs.
20,000/,orboth.
TheCentral&StateGovernmentshavebeenempoweredtomakeRulesundertheAct.
TheCentralGovernmenthasalreadymadeRulesin1996forimplementingvarious
provisionsoftheAct.BroadlytheRulesframedbytheCentralGovernmentprovidefor
thefollowing:
Applicationforandissueofdisabilitycertificates
ThecompositionandprocedureofcertainbodiesundertheActsuchastheCentral
CoordinationCommittee,theCentralExecutiveCommittee
EligibilityandcertainserviceconditionsoftheChiefCommissionerforpersonswith
disabilities
VariousFormsprescribedundervariousprovisionsoftheActandRules.

VariousFormsprescribedundervariousprovisionsoftheActandRules.

NaysayershaveoftenlamentedthattheActisinsufficientinachievingthepurposeofsocial
integrationofpersonswithdisabilitiesintothefabricofsociety.Inthehumbleopinionofthe
Author,theActitselfisbroadenoughtohavefarreachingandpositiveconsequences
towardsachievingthislaudablegoal.ThestrengthoftheActmustlieinitsimplementation,
whichhasregrettablybeenwanting.Animportantreasonforfailureordelayinuniformand
effectiveimplementationoftheActinIndianodoubtisthatthereisnodeadlineforits
implementation.Certainprovisions,suchfurnishingofreturnsbyemployersofvacanciesfor
personswithdisabilitiestoemploymentexchanges,providethatthesamemustbe
implementedfromsuchdateasmaybespecifiedbynotification.However,forthemostpart,
theActenjoinsupontheAppropriateGovernmentandlocalauthoritiestoimplementthe
provisionsoftheActwithoutspecifyingtimelinesforthesame.Thephraseologyofthe
provisionsoftheActsurelyimplyimmediateimplementationforthemostpart,butwith
riderssuchasthattheAppropriateGovernmentandlocalauthoritiesmusttakevarious
actionsundertheActwithinthelimitsoftheireconomiccapacityanddevelopment.
LikeinthecaseofmostothersociallegislationsinIndia,theimplementationofthePersons
withDisabilities(EqualOpportunities,ProtectionofRightsandFullParticipation)Act,1995
mustultimatelybeensuredthroughdemocraticmeans.Executiveinactiononthepartofthe
Governmentsandlocalauthoritieshaveoftenandeffectivelybeendealtwithbyourjudicial
system,withtheSupremeCourtofIndiaandtheHighCourtsoftheStatesoftenforcingthe
Executivetotakeurgentandimmediatestepstoimplementlaws.Whiledefiniteprogresshas
nodoubtbeenmadeinthismannertowardsimplementingtheAct,thereareindeedmilesto
gobeforethecollectiveconscienceofsocietycansleepinpeace,secureintheknowledge
thatthoseamongstuswithdisabilitiesarenolongerthevictimsofapathy.
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[1]ThisNoteisabriefoverviewoftheActnamedaboveandisnotintendedtogiveany
legaladviceregardingthesame.TheNotereflectstheviewsoftheAuthoronly.
[2]AIR2003SC1623:(2003)4SCC524
[3]S.S.Dhanoav.MunicipalCorporation,Delhi1981(3)SCC431
Theauthorcanbereachedat:c.bikram@legalserviceindia.com

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