<p>The High Court has ordered notices to the union government authorities in connection with a PIL filed complaining about non-inclusion of disabilities in the National Family Health Survey 6 (NFHS 6). </p>.<p>A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale, directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Director General (Statistics) under the ministry, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and others to file responses. </p>.<p>The NFHS is a large-scale multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households. </p>.<p>NGO Javed Abidi Foundation has filed the petition. It stated that the previous edition of the survey NFHS 5 had included persons with disabilities but the present survey, NFHS 6 has excluded them. </p>.<p>The petition challenged the endorsement, dated June 14, 2023, by the Director General (Statistics). The endorsement said that the NFHS 6 questionnaire was finalised based on the recommendations of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and other higher-level committees constituted for the smooth implementation of the survey.</p>.<p>The response also said that the primary focus of the NFHS is maternal and child health and other questions with a very shorter version of the question will not be advisable. </p>.<p>The petition stated that though as per the 2011 census, a conservative estimation of disabilities in the country is at 2.21% of the population. In reality, the figure would be much higher and would at least cover 1/5th of the population. </p>.<p>The petitioner said that while the new domain areas of the survey — Covid-19 hospitalisation and distress financing, Covid-19 vaccinations, and Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) under various welfare schemes initiated by the government — are welcome, the exclusion of disability as a factor in NFHS 6 is patently unjust. </p>
<p>The High Court has ordered notices to the union government authorities in connection with a PIL filed complaining about non-inclusion of disabilities in the National Family Health Survey 6 (NFHS 6). </p>.<p>A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale, directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Director General (Statistics) under the ministry, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and others to file responses. </p>.<p>The NFHS is a large-scale multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households. </p>.<p>NGO Javed Abidi Foundation has filed the petition. It stated that the previous edition of the survey NFHS 5 had included persons with disabilities but the present survey, NFHS 6 has excluded them. </p>.<p>The petition challenged the endorsement, dated June 14, 2023, by the Director General (Statistics). The endorsement said that the NFHS 6 questionnaire was finalised based on the recommendations of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and other higher-level committees constituted for the smooth implementation of the survey.</p>.<p>The response also said that the primary focus of the NFHS is maternal and child health and other questions with a very shorter version of the question will not be advisable. </p>.<p>The petition stated that though as per the 2011 census, a conservative estimation of disabilities in the country is at 2.21% of the population. In reality, the figure would be much higher and would at least cover 1/5th of the population. </p>.<p>The petitioner said that while the new domain areas of the survey — Covid-19 hospitalisation and distress financing, Covid-19 vaccinations, and Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) under various welfare schemes initiated by the government — are welcome, the exclusion of disability as a factor in NFHS 6 is patently unjust. </p>
