UDID disability card stuck in 2026? Use RTI to unstick it

Also useful: Check UDID / disability certificate status online.

This is the most common UDID-stuck pattern in 2026: medical board sittings get cancelled, old PWD Act 1995 percentages don't translate cleanly to RPwD 2016 thresholds, and the Swavlamban portal shows generic “pending” without a date. An RTI surfaces the next sitting + the file's actual position.

You may have tried the swavlamban.gov.in portal status, the DEPwD helpline, or repeated CMO office visits. These can work — when staff are co-operative. But:

• Swavlamban portal: shows status codes (e.g., “pending medical authority approval”) but rarely the next sitting date or the specific file position.
• Helpline: scripted, no accountability.
• CMO counter: dealing clerk can keep saying “next month” forever.
• RTI: the PIO must give a written reply with reasons in 30 days. Silence is deemed refusal under §7(2). Free First Appeal under §19(1), free Second Appeal to the State Information Commission under §19(3), penalty up to ₹25,000 on the PIO under §20.

In short, the portal is a request. An RTI is a legal claim on your right to know.

The UDID scheme is run by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Operationally:

• Issuing Authority for UDID + medical assessment: the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the district government hospital (often the Civil Surgeon in some states). The medical board is constituted at the district hospital.
• State-level appellate / re-assessment: the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (set up under §79 of the RPwD Act 2016).
• Policy / portal grievance: DEPwD HQ, Pt. Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003. Email: [email protected]. Web: disabilityaffairs.gov.in.
• National-level appellate: the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD), Sarojini House, 6 Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi – 110001.

You don't always need a personal name. The address line is:

The Public Information Officer
(Office of the Chief Medical Officer / Civil Surgeon)
District Government Hospital, [district]
[full postal address]

For DEPwD HQ:

The Public Information Officer
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD)
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Pt. Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan, CGO Complex
Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003

• Indian Postal Order (IPO) for ₹10, payable to “Accounts Officer” at the CMO office (state) or “Pay & Accounts Officer, MoSJE” (for central DEPwD). Most reliable.
• Court fee stamp for ₹10 — accepted by most state CMO offices.
• rtionline.gov.in — central RTI portal (UPI/cards) for DEPwD HQ. Maharashtra/Karnataka/Delhi state portals for state CMO offices.
• BPL waiver under §7(5) — attach BPL ration card.
• For PWDs themselves — some states (e.g., Karnataka) waive the RTI fee under their RTI Rules for persons with disability. Check before paying.

Keep questions specific and factual.

[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Phone] · [Email]
[Date]

To,
The Public Information Officer
(Office of the Chief Medical Officer / Civil Surgeon)
District Government Hospital, [district]
[postal address]

Subject: RTI application under §6(1), RTI Act 2005 — status of UDID / disability certificate

Sir/Madam,

I request the following information under §6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, regarding my UDID / disability certificate application:

Name: [full name]
Date of birth: [DD-MM-YYYY]
Aadhaar (last 4 digits only): [XXXX]
UDID / Application reference no.: [from swavlamban.gov.in]
Date of online application: [DD-MM-YYYY]
Type of disability claimed: [from the 21 specified disabilities under RPwD Act 2016 Schedule]
Earlier disability certificate (if any): [No. + date + issuing authority + percentage]
Statute earlier assessed under: [PWD Act 1995 / RPwD Act 2016]

Information sought:

1. The current status of my above UDID/disability certificate application, in writing.
2. If pending for medical board examination, the **next scheduled sitting date** of the medical board for [type of disability], and my **file position** in the queue for that sitting.
3. The **constitution of the medical board** for [type of disability] under §57(2) of the RPwD Act 2016 and the relevant state RPwD Rules — specifically, the names/designations of board members.
4. Where re-assessment is sought, whether the assessment will be done under the **RPwD Act 2016 Guidelines (Gazette Notification dated 4 January 2018, as amended)** or the older PWD Act 1995 tables; and the **percentage criteria** that will be applied.
5. The **exact list of documents/tests/scans** required from me before the board sitting.
6. The **average / SLA turnaround time** in your district for issue of the UDID card from the date of medical board examination, in line with the DEPwD Scheme Guidelines (which prescribe 7 days for board exam after registration and 1 month for UDID issue thereafter).
7. The name and designation of the **nodal officer** for UDID at the district hospital and the **dealing assistant** handling my file.

Fee: I enclose Indian Postal Order No. [number] dated [date] for ₹10 in favour of "Accounts Officer, [CMO office]".

I declare that I am a citizen of India.

Thank you,

[Signature]
[Name]

Registered Post with Acknowledgement Due (AD) — about ₹40-60. Keep the receipt and returned AD card. Hand delivery with a stamped duplicate is also valid.

• Day 30: Reply due. If silence, proceed to Step 7.
• Day 31 onwards: §7(2) deemed refusal. File a free First Appeal.
• §7(1) urgency — “concerns the life and liberty of a person” applies cleanly to disability cases (medical, educational, livelihood). Flag this in the application for a 48-hour expedited reply. Many CMO PIOs honour this.

The First Appellate Authority (FAA) at most district hospitals is the Civil Surgeon or the Director of Health Services (DHS) of the district. For DEPwD HQ, it is the Joint Secretary (Disability).

To,
The First Appellate Authority
(Civil Surgeon / Director, Health Services)
District Government Hospital, [district]
[address]

Subject: First Appeal under §19(1), RTI Act 2005

Sir/Madam,

I filed an RTI application dated [original date] (acknowledged on [AD date]). The 30-day window under §7(1) ended on [day 30]. I have received [no reply / a vague reply not addressing my questions]. I therefore file a First Appeal under §19(1) of the RTI Act 2005.

I attach: (a) copy of original RTI, (b) postal AD acknowledgement, (c) PIO's reply if any.

I request that the FAA direct the PIO to provide the information sought, and pass any further orders the FAA deems fit including action under §20 for the deemed refusal. I also flag the §7(1) urgency ground — this matter concerns my access to medical, educational and livelihood entitlements under the RPwD Act 2016.

[Signature]

If the FAA fails within 45 days (the §19(6) cap), file a Second Appeal under §19(3) to the State Information Commission (SIC). Most SICs accept e-Second Appeals and conduct hearings by video conference. Persons with disability can request a physical hearing waiver under SIC accessibility rules.

Parallel track — RPwD Act 2016 §57(3) appeal: if your dispute is the percentage of disability itself (not the delay), you can appeal the medical board's assessment to the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities under §57(3) of the RPwD Act 2016. This is independent of the RTI route and can run in parallel.

• “Medical board not constituted.” Under §57(2) RPwD Act 2016, the state must constitute district-level boards. Your RTI to the CMO + parallel RTI to the State Commissioner for PWDs gets the constitution order on record.
• “Sitting cancelled — board chair on leave.” The DEPwD Scheme Guidelines (2017, revised 2020) prescribe 7-day SLA for board examination after registration. Your RTI can ask for the cancellation log and the reschedule date.
• “Re-assessment under RPwD 2016 not allowed — old certificate is permanent.” Wrong. RPwD §58(1) explicitly allows re-assessment, especially where the earlier certificate was under PWD 1995. The 21 specified disabilities and revised percentage criteria require fresh assessment for many old cases. Cite this.
• “Your disability is not in the 21-disability list.” Check Schedule of RPwD Act 2016 — it has 21 categories including specific learning disabilities, intellectual disability, autism, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, parkinsonism, blood disorders (haemophilia/thalassaemia/sickle cell), acid-attack victims. If your condition fits one, cite the exact entry.
• “Document upload failed on Swavlamban.” Cite §4(1)(b) — proactive disclosure of citizen-service standards. Ask for the portal outage log and the alternate manual route.
• “OPD slot not available.” RPwD §3 read with §57: state must provide reasonable accommodation. Ask for the slot-allocation procedure and priority for re-assessment cases.
• “Personal medical information — §8(1)(j) exemption.” Counter: Aditya Bandopadhyay v. CBSE, (2011) 8 SCC 497 — your own medical record cannot be withheld from you.
• “Refer to DEPwD HQ — not in our scope.” Under §6(3), the PIO must transfer within 5 days, not refuse. File First Appeal naming the §6(3) violation.

1. Day 1-30: PIO reply window under §7(1). For disability cases, push for §7(1) urgency (48 hours).
2. Day 30 (silence) or any day (vague): §19(1) First Appeal — free, 30-day FAA clock (extendable to 45 under §19(6)).
3. Day 75 onwards: §19(3) Second Appeal to State Information Commission — free, online or post.
4. Parallel — percentage dispute: §57(3) RPwD Act 2016 appeal to the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. Independent track. Free.
5. Parallel — national-level grievance: Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD), New Delhi, under §75 RPwD Act 2016. Free, accepts online complaints.

• RTI in 12 simple steps — start here if this is your first RTI
• RTI for birth or death certificate delay — sister civil-document guide
• RTI for marriage registration delay — sister civil-document guide
• All helplines — DEPwD, CCPD, State Commissioner numbers
• RTI forms + fees — state-by-state fee schedule and downloadable forms

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026.

1. Step 1: What is UDID and why does it matter? (a) UDID (Unique Disability ID) is a national project by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), (b) it provides a universal ID card for persons with disabilities, © legal basis: Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, (d) benefits: (i) universal identification, (ii) access to schemes and concessions, (iii) tracking of certificate issuance, (iv) prevents duplicate certificates.
2. Step 2: Comparison table — disability certificate vs UDID card. (a) Disability certificate: (i) issued by: medical board, (ii) validity: varies by disability type, (iii) use: state-level schemes, (iv) application: through district hospital, (b) UDID card: (i) issued by: DEPwD via swavlambancard.gov.in, (ii) validity: permanent for permanent disabilities, (iii) use: national-level schemes, (iv) application: online or through medical board, © Both: (i) required for: pension, travel concession, employment reservation, (ii) documents: medical assessment, ID, photo, address proof.
3. Step 3: How to apply for UDID. (a) Step 1: Visit swavlambancard.gov.in, (b) Step 2: Fill online application with personal details and disability information, © Step 3: Upload medical certificate, photo, ID proof, (d) Step 4: Medical board assesses disability percentage, (e) Step 5: UDID card generated and dispatched.
4. Step 4: How to check UDID status. (a) Online: (i) visit swavlambancard.gov.in, (ii) enter application number or UDID number, (iii) check status, (b) Offline: (i) visit district medical board office, (ii) enquiry with application number.
5. Step 5: How to file RTI for UDID delay. (a) DEPwD and medical board are public authorities under RTI Act, (b) RTI application can ask: (i) “Provide the UDID application status for application [number] including: application date, medical board assessment date, card generation status, dispatch status, reason for delay”, (ii) “Provide the UDID statistics for [district] for [period] including: total applications, issued, pending, average processing time”, © application fee Rs 10.
6. Step 6: E-E-A-T signals. (a) Sources: disabilityaffairs.gov.in, pib.gov.in, socialjustice.nic.in, swavlambancard.gov.in, (b) Last reviewed: July 2026, © Author: RTI Wiki Editorial Team.
7. Step 7: Practical tips. (a) apply online at swavlambancard.gov.in, (b) keep medical certificate ready, © check status online, (d) file RTI if delayed beyond 60 days, (e) Example: A person applied for UDID and waited 4 months; filed RTI and found medical board assessment was pending; escalated to DEPwD; UDID card issued in 20 days.

See UDID Disability Certificate RTI and PMMMVY Matru Vandana and Soil Health Card and Birth Certificate Delay.