SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has issued 2,19,261 Unique Disability Identity (UDID) cards and extended various central schemes to thousands of persons with disabilities since 2019, according to figures tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The data, presented by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar in response to a starred question, shows that under the Ministry’s scholarship scheme for students with disabilities, 2,262 beneficiaries from Jammu and Kashmir received assistance worth Rs 9.61 crore between 2019–20 and 2024–25.
Under the Assistance to Persons with Disabilities for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) scheme, the Union Territory recorded 25,994 beneficiaries over the same period, with funds utilisation amounting to over Rs 1,972 lakh. The scheme provides scientifically designed and durable aids to eligible persons to improve physical, social, and economic participation.
The Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), which supports voluntary organisations for running disability rehabilitation projects, saw limited implementation in Jammu and Kashmir. The official reply shows that the only recorded activity was in 2019–20, when Rs 4.53 lakh was released to benefit 81 persons. No funds were released under DDRS in subsequent years.
Nationally, the UDID scheme has generated over 1.25 crore cards as of August 8, 2025. The Ministry stated that the card streamlines access to welfare benefits and eliminates repeated documentation.
The government said it regularly undertakes impact evaluations through independent agencies to assess the reach and efficiency of schemes such as ADIP, DDRS, and scholarships. The most recent evaluation, conducted in 2021 by the National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development, has informed subsequent programme adjustments.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, under which these schemes operate, mandates a minimum 4 percent reservation in government jobs and 5 percent in higher education for benchmark disabilities. The Ministry stated that while disability relief is a State subject, the Centre supplements local efforts through targeted funding, skill training, and infrastructure support.
