Indian Railways to Use ‘Intellectually Disabled’ Instead of ‘Mentally Retarded’ in Concession Forms
On May 14, the Ministry of Railways announced a significant change in the concession forms issued to differently-abled individuals. The term "mentally retarded" has now been replaced with "intellectually disabled" in all official documentation related to travel concessions.
According to a circular dated May 9, addressed to the Principal Chief Commercial Managers of all railway zones, the ministry stated: “The Ministry of Railways has decided to replace the words ‘mentally retarded person who cannot travel without an escort’ with ‘intellectually disabled person who cannot travel without an escort’.”
Officials explained that the term "mentally retarded" is considered offensive and outdated, carrying negative connotations. A railway official mentioned, “This change was long overdue. The updated concession certificate form will be implemented from June 1.”
However, the attached revised format still included terms like "viklang" (disabled) and "divyangjan" (divine-bodied persons), which have raised concerns among disability rights activists and advocates.
The revised form now classifies three types of disabilities eligible for travel concessions:
- Persons with orthopedic disability/paralysis who cannot travel without an escort
- Persons with intellectual disabilities who cannot travel without an escort
- Persons with complete hearing and speech impairment (both disabilities in one person)
Activists have welcomed the terminology shift but also pointed out that some problematic terms still remain in the forms. Dr. Satendra Singh, Director and Professor at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, stated, “The Railways has always been slow to respond, but better late than never. The Supreme Court has already released a handbook on inclusive language.”
He added, “While this is a step in the right direction, the Ministry is still making fragmented changes. Even in the revised form, controversial terms like ‘viklang’ and ‘divyangjan’ are still used.”