The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 came into force on 27^th December 2016 to give effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Section 60 of the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016 empowers the Central Government to, by notification, constitute a body to be known as the Central Advisory Board on Disability to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to it, under this Act. In pursuance of this power, the Central Government has constituted the Central Advisory Board on Disability consisting of the following members, with effect from 8^th November 2017: –

1. Under Section 60(2)(a), the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment as the ex-officio chairperson.
2. Under Section 60(2)(b), the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment dealing with Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities as the ex-officio vice-chairperson
3. Under Section 60(2)(c), three Members of Parliament, of whom two shall be elected by Lok Sabha and one by the Rajya Sabha, as the Members, ex officio. In pursuance of this power, the following are elected: –
   • Dr. Banshilal Mahato, Member, Lok Sabha;
   • Dr. Bharatiben D. Shyal, Member, Lok Sabha;
4. Under Section 60(2)(d), the Representatives of State Governments and Union Territory Administrations:
   • Ministers in charge of Disability Affairs in each State Government;
   • Lieutenant Governors or Ministers or Administrators in charge of disability affairs in each Union Territory Administration;
5. Under Section 60(2)(e), Secretaries to the Government of India in charge of, as members ex-officio: –
   • The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities;\
   • The Department of School Education and Literacy;
   • The Department of Higher Education;
   • The Ministry of Women and Child Development;
   • The Department of Expenditure;
   • The Department of Personnel and Training;
   • The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances;\
   • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare;
   • The Ministry of Rural Development;
   • The Ministry of Panchayati Raj;
   • The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion;
   • The Ministry of Urban Development;
   • The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs;
   • The Department of Science and Technology;\
   • The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology;
   • The Department of Legal Affairs;
   • The Department of Public Enterprises;
   • The Department of Youth Affairs;
   • The Department of Sports;
   • The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways;
   • The Ministry of Civil Aviation;
6. Under Section 60(2)(f), the Secretary, National Institute of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog as Member ex-officio;
7. Under Section 60(2)(g), the Chairperson, Rehabilitation Council of India as Member ex-officio;
8. Under Section 60(2)(h), the Chairperson, National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities as Member ex-officio;
9. Under Section 60(2)(i), the Chairman-cum-Managing Director, National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation as Member ex-officio;
10. Under Section 60(2)(j), the Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation as Member ex-officio;
11. Under Section 60(2)(k), the Chairman, Railway Board as Member ex-officio;
12. Under Section 60(2)(l), the Director-General, Employment and Training, Ministry of Labour and Employment as Member ex-officio;
13. Under Section 60(2)(m), the Director, National Council for Educational Research and Training as Member ex-officio;
14. Under Section 60(2)(n), the Chairperson, National Council of Teacher Education as Member ex-officio;
15. Under Section 60(2)(o), the Chairperson, University Grants Commission as Member ex-officio;
16. Under Section 60(2)(p), the Chairperson, Medical Council of India as Member ex-officio;
17. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities, Dehradun as Member ex-officio;
18. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Secundrabad as Member ex-officio;
19. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities, New Delhi as Member ex-officio;
20. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Speech and Hearing Disabilities, Mumbai as Member ex-officio;
21. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, National Institute for the Locomotor Disability, Kolkata as Member ex-officio;
22. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research, Cuttack as Member ex-officio;
23. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai as Member ex-officio;
24. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, National Institute for Mental Health and Sciences, Bangalore as Member ex-officio;
25. Under Section 60(2)(q), the Director, Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre, New Delhi as Member ex-officio;
26. Section 60(2)(r)(i) provides that the Central Government may nominate five Members who are experts in the field of disability and rehabilitation. The Central Government in pursuance of this power nominated: –
    • Dr. Sukumar, 8, Shivam Ravindra Nagar, Nagpur -440022, Maharashtra;
    • Shri Bhushan Punani, Blind People’s Association, Jagdish Patel Chowk, Surdas Marg, VastraPur, Ahmedababd – 380015, Gujarat;
    • Shri G. VijayaRaghavan Lakshmipriya, No.29, Chembaga Nagar, Bakery Junction, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala- 695001;
    • Shri S.K. Rungta, Plot No. 21, Sector-6, Pushp Vihar, M.B. Road, New Delhi- 110017
    • Shri Pankaj Maru, 3/10, Adarsh Gandhi Gram Colony, Nagda Junction, Madhya Pradesh- 456335;
27. Section 60(2)(r)(ii) provides that the Central Government may nominate ten Members, as far as practicable, being persons with disabilities, to represent non-Governmental Organisations concerned with disabilities or disabled persons organisations. Provided that at least, five Members shall be women and at least one person each shall be from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. The Central Government in pursuance of this power nominated: –
    • Ms Bheela Linda (ST), Chandni Chowk Lohara Mohalla Hatiya, PO – Hatiya, PS – Jagannathpur, District – Ranchi, Jharkhand;
    • Smt Hemlata Ashok Jadhav (SC), A-3, Prabhatkar Housing Society, Behind Bitco College, Nasik Road, Nasik, Maharashtra;
    • Smt Kusum Mahajan, House No. 15, Block-5, Spring Fields Colony, Faridabad, Haryana;
    • Ms Ruma Bannerjee, Seva-in-action, 36, S.T. Bed Layout, Kormangala, Bangalore, Karnataka;
    • Smt Usha Punjabi, 1512, Scheme No. 71B, Behind Ranjit Hanuman Mandir, Indore, Madhya Pradesh;
    • Dr Milind Madhav Kasbekar, 16, Savant Plaza, Stara Road, Balaji Nagar, Dhankavdi, Pune, Maharashtra;
    • Shri V.K. Batham, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh;
    • Shri Kanubhai Tailor, Disable Welfare Trust of India, Near Shri Sai Samarth Residency, B/H Sardauatam School, Opp. Lake View Garden, Umara, Surat-395007;
    • Dr. Uttam Ojha, B.22/192, Khojwan Market, Varanasi, UP;\
    • Shri Atul Gupta, 17, Mall Road, Meerut Cantt, Uttar Pradesh;
28. Section 60(2)(r)(iii) provides that the Central Government may nominate up to three representatives of national level chambers of commerce and industry. The Central Government in pursuance of this power nominated: –
    • Shri Milind Kamble, A-1/1502, Kumar Pinnacle, Tadiwala Road, Pune, Maharashtra;
    • Ms Anita Raj, 1229, 17 Main, First Stage, Phase I, BTM Layout, Bangalore, Karnataka;
    • Dr. Bhagwati Prasad, C-31, Sector-P, Pushp Vihar, Aliganj Ex, Lucknow;
29. Under Section 60(2)(s), the Joint Secretary to the Government of India dealing with the subject of disability policy as the Member-Secretary, ex officio.

– Esha Shah, Paralegal