Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar will be presenting Unique Disability ID (UDID) cards to seven PwDs, generated using the pioneering Indian IQ testing tool on Monday at Conference Hall 1, DAIC, New Delhi.
The minister will also hand over the one croreth UDID to 2-year-old girl named Vanshika Nand Kishore Mane, a testament to the UDI project’s far-reaching impact.
The inaugural UDID was generated on January 27, 2017, in Datia, Madhya Pradesh.
The indigenous IQ testing tool is developed by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), Secunderabad, and endorsed by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Government of India.
Aligned with the Make in India vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this tool will play a crucial role in assessing the cognitive abilities of individuals with disabilities.
The minister will dedicate this tool to the Nation, marking a significant stride towards self-reliance and inclusivity, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment said here on Sunday.
As of the 2011 census, India is home to 2.68 crore Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), commonly referred to as Divyangjan.
In 2017, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Government of India, initiated the Unique Disability ID (UDID)Card project, a ground-breaking endeavor aimed at providing a unique identity to Divyangjans and creating a comprehensive database for strategic welfare planning.