UPSC Mains 2022 GS2 Q7 — Social Justice
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 remains only a legal document without intense sensitisation of government functionaries and citizens regarding disability. Comment. (Answer in 150 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Comment
- Scope keywords
- Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016legal documentintense sensitisationgovernment functionariescitizens regarding disability
- Implicit sub-parts
- Briefly state the key transformative features of the 2016 Act (to show what is at stake).
- Analyze how the lack of empathy/awareness among government functionaries hinders institutional implementation (e.g., infrastructure, certification).
- Explain how societal stigma and citizen apathy prevent the realization of 'Rights' into 'Realities' (e.g., social inclusion, workplace discrimination).
- Suggest specific non-legal interventions (attitudinal changes) required to breathe life into the statute.
- Common pitfalls
- Spending too many words listing the 21 types of disabilities instead of addressing the 'sensitisation' aspect.
- Treating it as a general essay on disability rather than focusing on the specific tension between 'de jure' (law) and 'de facto' (practice).
- Ignoring the 'citizens' part of the prompt and focusing only on government failures.
- Failing to mention specific barriers like 'attitudinal barriers' which are explicitly recognized by the UNCRPD and the 2016 Act.
- Dimensions required
- Legal/StatutorySociological/AttitudinalAdministrative/InstitutionalEthical/Human Rights
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 30 words to the Act's intent (Introduction), 50 words to barriers within the bureaucracy (Supply-side), 50 words to societal/citizen-led barriers (Demand-side), and a 20-word conclusion emphasizing that 'empathy must precede enforcement' to move beyond a mere legal document.
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