Govt proposes online portal to streamline certification, access to assistive technology
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre has proposed setting up an online Assistive Technology Portal for certification, procurement, tracking, distribution, and grievance monitoring as part of the draft rules to regulate standards and accessibility of assistive devices for persons with disabilities.
The draft Assistive Technology (Standards and Accessibility) Rules, 2025 lay down a comprehensive framework covering classification, certification, procurement, affordability, user safety, and integration of assistive technology into existing health and social welfare schemes.
The rules classify assistive technology into three categories of essential (such as wheelchairs, spectacles, hearing aids), specialised (such as screen readers, prosthetics, cochlear implants), and emerging (such as AI-enabled devices, robotics, brain-computer interface systems).
All assistive products will need to conform to standards prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or another notified authority before being made available for use.
Certification will be carried out by competent authorities designated by the Centre, with phased implementation depending on device categories. Manufacture, import, storage, and distribution will also have to comply with other applicable laws.
The draft said the government procurement of such devices will be through transparent tendering processes, sourcing only from certified manufacturers.
Essential devices may require prescriptions, customisation, or fitting, and distribution will be linked with public health logistics and medical supply chains to ensure timely availability at district and regional levels, the guidelines said.
For affordability, the Centre and states will frame schemes offering subsidies, reimbursements, and insurance coverage, including repair, replacement, and reimbursement where users bear costs directly.
Special provisions have been made for immediate replacement of essential assistive devices during disasters and emergencies.
The draft also provides for a national toll-free helpline for complaints and feedback, with mandatory resolution within 30 days.
The helpline and awareness campaigns will be accessible in multiple formats, including Indian Sign Language, voice and text-based platforms.
To enhance user safety, a National Assistive Technology Safety Incident Database will be created to record and monitor accidents and malfunctions involving devices, with investigations ordered in cases of injury.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is the nodal body for the draft rules.
It has proposed consultations with BIS experts, the Rehabilitation Council of India, ALIMCO, manufacturers, innovators, and user organisations before finalising the regulations.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
