What is the primary international convention that protects the rights and…
2025
What is the primary international convention that protects the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities and serves as a framework for inclusive education?
- A.
RPWD Act
- B.
UNCRPD
- C.
SSA Program
- D.
RTE Act
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: An international convention is a treaty adopted by an international body such as the United Nations, which member states may sign and ratify; once ratified, a country typically enacts its own domestic law to give that treaty legal effect inside its borders. A domestic act and a government scheme, by contrast, are created entirely through a country's own parliamentary or administrative process and apply only within that country.
Application: Among the four options, only the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is an international convention. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 December 2006 (resolution 61/106) and opened for signature in 2007. The Convention commits ratifying states to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, and Article 24 specifically requires them to build an inclusive education system at all levels.
Cross-check: Contrasting each option by what it actually is confirms the choice:
Instrument | Type | What it actually is |
|---|---|---|
RPWD Act, 2016 | Domestic statute (India) | Passed by Parliament to give the UNCRPD obligations legal effect inside India; it replaced the earlier Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995. |
UNCRPD, 2006 | International convention (UN treaty) | Adopted by the UN General Assembly rather than by any national parliament or administration; Article 24 requires an inclusive education system at all levels. |
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), 2001 | Centrally sponsored scheme (India) | An administrative programme of the Government of India launched to achieve universal elementary education - not a treaty. |
RTE Act, 2009 | Domestic statute (India) | Makes free and compulsory education a fundamental right for children aged 6-14; in force since 1 April 2010. |
India ratified the UNCRPD in 2007, and the RPWD Act, 2016 explicitly states it was enacted "to give effect to" the Convention -- confirming UNCRPD as the international source instrument and RPWD Act as its domestic implementation, not the other way round.
Result: the primary international convention protecting the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, and the framework for inclusive education, is the UNCRPD.