The Union government has announced a 4% reservation in central government housing for persons with disabilities, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity and accessibility. Union Minister Manohar Lal stated that this initiative is aligned with the goals of the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs confirmed that the Directorate of Estates has issued an official memorandum to implement this policy, ensuring equitable access to government residential accommodations.
In a related development, the Supreme Court recently emphasized the importance of digital accessibility for people with disabilities. The court ruled that the eKYC process must be adapted to accommodate individuals with disabilities, citing that digital access is a part of the fundamental Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution. It instructed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue guidelines that ensure alternative methods for verifying customer identity that do not rely solely on features like eye blinking, which can be exclusionary.
The Supreme Court further directed the redesign of KYC templates and customer acquisition forms to include details about a person’s disability, such as type and percentage. This would help financial institutions provide appropriate accommodations. The RBI must also clarify that video-based customer identification processes (V-CIP) do not mandate actions like eye blinking, which can be inaccessible to individuals with vision-related impairments, thus promoting a more inclusive banking experience.
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