In Focus by The Hindu Why are specific acid attack survivors excluded from disability rights in India?
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Jan 17, 2026 Madiah Shahjar, a legal advocate from Brave Souls Foundation, discusses the crucial issue of acid attack survivors' rights under India's disability laws. She clarifies the distinction between visible injuries and internal damage from acid ingestion, highlighting how current laws overlook many victims. Madiah shares insights from a recent Supreme Court case advocating for comprehensive protections and discusses the challenges survivors face in certification processes, accessing compensation, and employment barriers, emphasizing the need for legal reforms and NGO support.
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Certification Directly Drives Compensation
- Compensation under schemes ties directly to certified disability percentage, causing ingestion survivors to get less or no compensation.
- Lack of certification prevents calculation of disability percentage and reduces enhanced payouts.
Supreme Court Pushes Inclusion
- Supreme Court judges expressed surprise and urged inclusion of ingestion survivors in RPwD and faster, stricter judicial action.
- The Bench asked the Centre to consider comprehensive policy changes and address trial delays.
Push For Immediate Judicial Guidelines
- Use judicial guidelines now while legislature processes amendments to expand RPwD definitions to cover ingestion cases.
- Seek interim SC guidelines to bridge gaps until formal legislative change occurs.