India’s Supreme Court advanced a disability rights initiative by directing eight National Law Universities to assess implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, across states and Union Territories, while noting that most governments have now appointed Nodal Officers to coordinate the court-monitored exercise under “Project Ability Empowerment,” as reported by Bar and Bench.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the direction while hearing a long-pending plea filed by the Justice Sunanda Bhandare Foundation with reagrds to implementation of disability rights laws.
Under the directive, participating law universities will examine how effectively states and union territories are enforcing the RPwD Act. The assessment is expected to include accessibility standards, employment protections, educational inclusion, government benefits, transportation systems, and institutional support mechanisms.
Despite repeated judicial directions over the years, implementation of disability rights legislation by several states and UTs remained inadequate, the apex court observed. “The appointment of Nodal Officers provides an institutional framework for coordination and accountability, which was hitherto lacking, and is expected to facilitate the collection of accurate data, identification of deficiencies, and prompt redressal of gaps in implementation across jurisdictions,” as reported by Bar and Bench.
The Supreme Court expressed concern that implementation gaps continue to limit the real-world impact of the legislation, despite the law being in force for nearly a decade. Activists have long argued that many public institutions still fail to provide accessible infrastructure and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.
