New Delhi: The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has partnered with the Nipman Foundation and Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) to launch the “Breaking Barriers Fellowship”.
The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by DEPwD Director Ashish Thakre, Nipman Foundation founder Nipun Malhotra, and YLAC co-founder Rohit Kumar.
Present at the signing were DEPwD Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal and Additional Secretary Manmeet Kaur Nanda, who witnessed the collaboration aimed at creating a more inclusive and accessible society.
This initiative aims to bolster policy support and improve the implementation of programs for persons with disabilities, said Shree Thakre, Director DEPwD.
The fellowship will appoint eligible young professionals to the DEPwD’s offices to help with policy support and to ensure effective compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
This legislation replaced the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995 and was passed by the Indian Parliament to meet its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The “Breaking Barriers Fellowship” represents a significant step towards reinforcing the government’s commitment to empowering persons with disabilities.
The program seeks to leverage the expertise of young professionals to enhance the DEPwD’s capacity to develop and enforce policies that are crucial for the welfare and empowerment of this community.