Policy Update
Prisha Sachdeva
Background
India has one of the largest populations of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in South Asia because of its large child population. Population-based studies estimate that approximately 9.2% of children aged 2–<6 years and 13.6% of children aged 6–9 years have at least one neurodevelopmental disorder.
(Global and regional prevalence of disabilities among children and adolescents)
Given the high prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders among children, the Government of India launched the DISHA scheme under the National Trust to improve access to early intervention and support services for children with developmental disabilities.
The National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities is a statutory body set up under the National Trust Act, 1999, functioning under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The National Trust has been set up to discharge two basic duties: legal and welfare. Legal duties are discharged through the Local Level Committee providing legal guardianship. Welfare duties are discharged through schemes. The activities of the National Trust include implementing schemes for early intervention and school readiness, day care, residential care, and health insurance.
It aims to provide care to individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability (formerly termed mental retardation), and multiple disabilities.
The objectives of the National Trust are to enable and empower persons with disabilities to live as independently,to facilitate the realization of equal opportunities, protection of rights, and full participation of persons with disabilities; to extend support to its registered organizations to provide need-based services; and to evolve procedures for the appointment of guardians and trustees for persons with disabilities.
Under the National Trust Act, DISHA—Early Intervention and School Readiness for Disabled Children aged 0–10 years—was announced in December 2015 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It aims to ensure early intervention for children with disabilities, ensuring inclusivity, empowerment, and holistic development.
Niramaya, a health insurance scheme under the National Trust for children with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities, provides health cover up to ₹100,000 per year.
Functioning
The DISHA scheme functions as an early intervention and school-readiness day-care program that establishes dedicated centres to provide therapeutic care and training to children aged 0–10 years with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disability.
Institutional framework
The DISHA scheme is under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), which functions under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, and Multiple Disabilities is the apex statutory body that directly designs, finances, regulates, and monitors the scheme
How it operates
The daily operations of the scheme are outsourced to non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They are required to register on the National Trust portal (DISHA Scheme)
to be considered Registered Organisations and must have valid registration under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act.
The physical day-care centres, also known as Local DISHA Centres, are set up by Registered Organisations to manage a batch of 20–26 children. These centres must have functional spaces such as assessment rooms and activity rooms to provide early intervention services and must operate for at least four hours a day. Centres should have a special educator or early intervention therapist, a physiotherapist or occupational therapist, a counsellor for persons with disabilities, and a caregiver.
Persons with disabilities should be regularly assessed by experts to identify individual needs, and follow-up should be provided to parents or caregivers. Parents should receive a minimum number of counselling sessions, especially for activities of daily living.
Registered Organisations may provide transport services and guidance on school admission.
Funding Structure
The Disha scheme operates on 3-tier funding mechanism administered by National Trust designed for Registered organisations to establish centers and carry out day to day operations . The 3 tier mechanism is :-
| S. No. | Funding Head | Amount (in INR) | Frequency of funds disbursement |
| 1 | Setup Cost | 1,55,000/- | One time |
| 2 | Sustenance Cost | 4,500/- reimbursement per Differential Divyangjan per month | Monthly for initial 3 months |
| 3 | Monthly Recurring Cost | 4,500/- per Divyangjan BPL PwD per month (+1000 per Divyangjan per month for transport allowance, if availed) | Monthly |
Source – Ministry of Social justice and empowerment
To receive funding, registered organisations must meet several eligibility criteria, including maintaining a batch size of 20–26. Children below the poverty line (BPL) are entitled to a 100% concession. A 1:1 ratio must be maintained between low-income groups (LIG) and above-LIG seats. Organisations must be open for a minimum of 15 days per month, and day-care centres must operate for at least four hours per day.
Performance
The National Trust’s overall funding for its disability-welfare schemes stood at ₹25 crore in the current financial year (FY 2024–25, as of 15 January 2025), distributed across Disha, Vikaas, Samarth, Gharaunda, and Niramaya. Within this total, the Disha scheme has supported 374 beneficiaries through 21 centres over its nine years of operation (from 2015–16 onwards), with a cumulative spend of ₹2.01 crore.
The distribution of budgeted amount is as follows:-
| Scheme | 9-year Spending(2015-16 se) | Beneficiaries | Centres |
| DISHA | 2.01 Cr | 374 | 21 |
| Samarth | 1.96 Cr | 276 | 10 |
| Vikaas | 3.8 Cr | 782 | 32 |
| National trust all scheme total | 16.36 Cr | 390 year / avg | – |
Source – Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment
When compared with the National Trust’s other schemes, DISHA’s funding trajectory reveals a clear imbalance in priorities. Niramaya, the health insurance scheme, received ₹13.87 crore in a single year (2023–24) — nearly seven times DISHA’s entire nine-year cumulative allocation of ₹2.01 crore. This suggests that, within the National Trust’s overall welfare architecture, early intervention for children (0–10 years) — arguably the most developmentally critical window — remains comparatively under-resourced relative to adult-focused health insurance coverage.
Impact
The National Trust’s DISHA scheme was introduced to support persons with disabilities (PwDs). However, according to the available data, its impact has remained limited. Over nine years, only 374 beneficiaries were covered and 21 centres were established, indicating that the scheme has reached only a small section of the eligible population.
In comparison, Niramaya received greater government funding than the DISHA scheme. This highlights the importance of providing health insurance, which can improve access to healthcare and help children with disabilities lead healthier and better-quality lives.
The availability of special educators or early-intervention therapists, physiotherapists or occupational therapists, and counselors for PwDs—along with caregivers and ayahs—helps ensure that children are adequately prepared for school. These professionals support children’s development, improve their daily functioning, and facilitate their social and educational participation.
The compulsory counselling sessions for parents also equip them with practical strategies to help their children manage daily activities and interact more effectively in social settings. In this way, the scheme supports not only the children but also their families.
The scheme is inclusive because it promotes the participation of children from low-income groups, including LIG and BPL families, as well as those from higher-income groups. This approach ensures that support services are available to children across different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Emerging issues
According to population-based studies, the number of children with disabilities has been increasing, while the number of DISHA centres has remained largely unchanged. This indicates a clear imbalance between the demand for and availability of services.
Although the Niramaya scheme receives greater government funding, efforts should also be made to increase the budget allocated to the DISHA scheme. Additional funding would help establish more centres, expand services, and reach a larger number of children with disabilities.
The government provides data on the number of centres established and the beneficiaries served; however, it does not publish sufficient information about children’s outcomes after discharge. There is limited data on whether these children are able to function independently and participate effectively in personal, social, and educational activities.
Awareness of the DISHA scheme is also very limited, particularly in rural areas, where families often have little or no information about its benefits and services. Greater awareness campaigns, community outreach programmes, and improved coordination with local health and education authorities could help ensure that more eligible children and their families access the scheme.
Way forward
To improve access to disability services, the government should make concerted efforts to establish more DISHA centres, recruit trained professionals, and increase funding for registered organisations.
Adequate financial support would enable these organisations to establish additional day-care centres and improve the quality of services provided to children with disabilities.
Awareness programmes for parents, teachers, and educators should also be organised to ensure that every child receives timely care, support, and early intervention. These programmes should provide information about the DISHA scheme, its eligibility criteria, and the services available through the centres.
Greater transparency can be achieved by publishing regular data on the number of centres established, professionals recruited, and children receiving services. Annual or quarterly reports on children’s personal, social, and educational outcomes would also help monitor the scheme’s progress and effectiveness..
References
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (n.d.). DISHA scheme. National Trust. https://nationaltrust.nic.in/disha-scheme/
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (n.d.). DEISRS scheme details. myScheme, Government of India. https://www.myscheme.gov.in/hi/schemes/deisrs
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (2026, April 1). [Standing Committee/Lok Sabha reply — National Trust scheme-wise funding, beneficiaries and centres]. Government of India. https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3e58aea67b01fa747687f038dfde066f6/uploads/2026/04/20260401316377355.pdf
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (n.d.). [Press release]. Press Information Bureau. https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=131873®=48&lang=2
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (n.d.). DISHA scheme brochure. National Trust. https://thenationaltrust.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/disha_eng.pdf
Sagar, R., Pattanayak, R. D., Mehta, M., et al. (2022). Twenty-year trajectory of research on child and adolescent mental health in India. PMC, National Institutes of Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9554924/
About the Contributor
Prisha Sachdeva is a Research & Editorial intern at IMPRI. She’s pursuing Bachelors in psychology (Honours) from University of Delhi . Her interest lies in cognitive science , human behavior with focus on evidence based policy and behavioral research.
Acknowledgment
The author extends sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team for their expert guidance and constructive feedback throughout the process
Reviewers – Sneha Kohli and Shivali
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this policy update are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of IMPRI or any affiliated institution. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information and data presented, readers are encouraged to verify facts independently before relying on them for any decision-making purpose.
