- Why in news
- On 9 October 2026, DEPwD held a consultation, "Sugamyata Ka Sankalp", in New Delhi to review Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan and set priorities for its next phase. Officials called for a whole-of-government approach to accessibility.
- What it is
- Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign) is a national campaign run by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. It aims to make the built environment, transport systems and information and communication technology accessible to persons with disabilities. It sits within the framework of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
- Launch year
- The campaign was launched in 2015.
- Three focus areas
- The campaign covers the built environment, transport systems, and information and communication technology (ICT).
- Nodal body
- DEPwD, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, leads the initiative.
- Legal backdrop
- The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 is the legal framework for accessibility standards and implementation.
- Measurement focus
- Roundtables discussed accessibility data and a credible framework to measure accessibility across sectors.
Don’t confuse with Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan vs RPwD Act, 2016: The Abhiyan is a campaign (scheme) launched in 2015; the RPwD Act, 2016 is the statute that gives rights and accessibility mandates.
Don’t confuse with DEPwD vs Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities: DEPwD is the ministry department that runs policy and schemes; the Chief Commissioner's office is a separate statutory body under the RPwD Act that monitors rights and handles grievances.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Accessibility is a precondition for persons with disabilities to use education, health, jobs, transport and public services.
- A whole-of-government approach links the campaign to the rights-based framework of the RPwD Act, 2016.
Problems
- Accessibility is spread across many ministries and States, so coordination is weak and priority varies.
- Reliable data and a common measurement framework for accessibility are lacking, which makes monitoring hard.
Way forward
- Build accessibility into design from the start across sectors, rather than retrofitting.
- Set up a credible, common measurement framework and use its data to plan and monitor, with States and civil society involved.
Put in your answer
Whole-of-government approach: DEPwD stressed that accessibility cannot be left to one department and needs action across ministries and levels of government with civil society.
Accessibility by design: Accessibility must be embedded at the design stage, not added later.
- 2022Mains GS2 · Q7Comment on RPwD Act 2016 being merely legal without sensitisation of officials and citizens.
- 2017Mains GS2 · Q7Does the RPwD Act 2016 ensure effective empowerment and inclusion of beneficiaries? Discuss.
- 2026Mains GS1 · Q9Define disability and substantiate the need for an inclusive policy framework in India.
- 2026Prelims Q56Which statements on PwD rights and Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan's three accessibility domains are correct?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting scheme on the syllabus, but the release is a consultation with few fresh facts, so a question is unlikely.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.