What is PWD Category? 

Understanding what the PwD category is crucial, as it gives the same level of opportunity to individuals with disabilities. PwD Category is basically for a person with disabilities. A person is classified under this category if they have a physical or mental condition that greatly affects their ability to carry out essential everyday activities. It covers individuals with hearing or vision impairments, mobility limitations, mental health challenges, and a range of other disabilities. The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, was put into effect on February 7, 1996. This legislation introduces both preventive measures and developmental initiatives for rehabilitation, offering support in areas such as education, employment, vocational training, and related services.

In this blog, we have talked about the definition of the PwD category, its eligibility, who and how to apply, and much more.

Types of Disabilities Included in PwD Category

The descriptions of various disability categories are outlined below:

• Blindness: This includes individuals with permanent loss of vision, verified by an ophthalmologist. People with severely restricted visual fields also fall under this category.
• Hearing Impairment: This applies to individuals whose hearing ability has reduced by 60 dB or more.
• Locomotor Disability: This refers to people who experience limited movement due to disorders affecting their bones, joints, or muscles.
• Cerebral Palsy: This condition involves non-progressive neurological disorders in which individuals struggle to maintain posture or control body movements, typically caused by damage to the brain or spinal cord.
• Orthopaedically Handicapped: Persons with orthopedic impairments are also recognised under the PWD category.

Special Points in PWD Category  

1. When can a PWD candidate get an unreserved seat in the jobs/education field?

When a post is viable for a person with disabilities, the concerned organisation cannot deny them the right to employment. Therefore, a human being with a disability can be appointed for unreserved vacant posts, provided that the job profile is apt for the person under the relevant government-recognised category. 

2. How does the Government Calculate Reservations for the PWD category?

The calculation is based on the number of vacant seats in the organisation in the year of appointment. Even though the reservation is for a certain percentage of seats, sometimes the appointments can exceed 4%.

3. Vertical Reservation Vs Horizontal Reservation

The vertical reservation is for backward classes of citizens belonging to SC, ST and OBC. This applies separately for each reservation of the groups that are specified under the law. It is also mentioned in Article 16A of the Indian Constitution. 

The horizontal reservation refers to the equal opportunity that is provided to the other categories of the beneficiaries such as women, the transgender community and individuals with disabilities. This reservation comes under Article 15(3) of the Indian Constitution.

Relaxation for Persons with Disabilities

The people who fall under the PWD category are given some benefits which are given below:

• The students will get a relaxation in their age limit. The maximum age of disabled people can be reduced by 10 years, 15 years, and 13 years for the general category, SC/ST, and OBC categories respectively. In the case of direct recruitment to Group C and Group D a relaxation of 5 years, 8 years, and 10 years for the general category, OBC category, and SC/ST category, respectively.  
• If a sufficient number of persons with disabilities are not available on the basis of the general standard, then the vacancies reserved for them will be given to those who are next in line.  
• Disabled people will not have to pay examination and application fees. application fee, as determined by SSC, PCS, UPSC, and other conducting authorities. 
• Rule 10 of the Fundamental Rules of the laws governing the entry of PWD candidates into government organisations state that specially-abled and disabled candidates need to submit a medical certificate of fitness from an accredited government authority. The rule further states that if certain job profiles already mention that candidates with disabilities are viable for these positions, then the authorised Medical Officer conducts the required medical test on eligible candidates.

Who Can Apply for PwD Certification?

Anyone with a permanent disability of 40% or more, as certified by a medical authority, can get a Disability Certificate, which officially places them in the PWD category. Let us check the points below to understand who is eligible to apply for a PwD certification: 

• The certificate is used to generate a UDID card (Unique Disability ID), which digitally stores disability details for easy access.
• People with conditions such as visual impairment, hearing loss, locomotor disability, mental illness, autism, learning disabilities, multiple disabilities, etc., can apply.
• Both children and adults with eligible disabilities can obtain a PWD certificate.
• Applicants must be Indian residents or legally living in India.
• The person applying must visit a government hospital or an authorised medical board for medical evaluation.
• The certification requires medical records, ID proof, and photographs to verify the disability.
• Those with permanent disabilities can get a lifelong certificate; those with temporary disabilities receive certificates that must be renewed periodically.
• Individuals seeking access to reservations, exam relaxations, government schemes, or assistive aids should apply for the certificate.

FAQs

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Hence, we hope that this blog has helped you comprehend what a PWD category entails. If you are planning to get a seat under the PWD category, you can refer to this blog for detailed information.

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