About 200 million Indians live with psychosocial disabilities, according to a study in the Lancet medical journal, and for their families, the disruption in essential services like free medication during the lockdown compounded the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. A government estimate of such Indians is much lower. Around 3.9 million persons live with psychosocial disabilities, a survey by the National Statistical Office (NSO) found in 2018. Even before Covid-19, just under 22% of persons with disability received aid from the government, 1.8% received aid from NGOs and 76.4% received no aid at all, the NSO survey had found. Disability allowance is also given only to persons with bank accounts and on provision of identity proof such as Aadhaar, which many do not have.
Riddhi Dastidar, 'Insufficient, inconsistent: Mental health pension rarely reach the affected', Business Standard











