The issue of disability is a Global phenomena but the types and magnitude of disability will vary from developing to developed countries. It is seen that with socio-economic development, the magnitude of disability increases. India is on the move and has the disability both from the communicable and non-communicable diseases. At the beginning of the new millennium, India's population has crossed 1 billion and of these 40% are children. 60% of the disabilities among children are preventable one. While children population in developed countries by two decades time will be reduced by 7.1%, the developing countries will have + 14%. This means the magnitude of children disability in developing countries will be very high. In the planning of Govt. of India higher allocation of finances for children focuses after the age of 6 years while major brain development takes place within 5 years of age. This paper will analysis in detail the National Survey Report on disability 02 Govt. of India. Among the children the common causes of disabilities are due to lack of nutrition, presence of infection, absence of the effective early childhood care and congenital. The locomotor disability is highest among all disabilities. There has been a great achievement in the Health Sector. The life span has increased, IMR has been decreased and there has been a significant reduction of vaccine preventable diseases. The success of programme also varies from State to State. The projection of medium developmental goal in terms of the IMR reduction, general parity and enrolment for Primary School education, the situation is not satisfactory. India has a long way to go to reach comparable level to that of developed countries.

(Dr. A. K. Mukherjee)
Director General

Last Updated on 01-10-2005