Gujarat Disability Schemes for Children: A Parent Guide

As of November 2026, Gujarat's disability schemes for children are run by the Directorate of Social Defence (Samaj Suraksha) under the Social Justice and Empowerment Department. The ones most families use are Sant Surdas Yojana, which pays Rs 1,000 a month for 60% or more disability, a financial assistance scheme for children with intellectual disability, cerebral palsy or autism, the scholarship for students with disabilities from Class 1, free travel in GSRTC buses, and aids under Divyang Sadhan Sahay.

Most of these are applied for online on the e-Samaj Kalyan portal (esamajkalyan.gujarat.gov.in) or at an e-Gram centre under Digital Seva Setu, and the District Social Defence Officer verifies and approves them. The scholarship goes through the Digital Gujarat portal, usually via your child's school.

How disability support works in Gujarat

The Directorate of Social Defence, at Block No. 16, Dr Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Sector 10, Gandhinagar (phone +91 79 23256309), publishes the state's Divyang Kalyan schemes. Each district has a District Social Defence Officer who checks online applications and sanctions the benefit. The scheme pages we used show a last update of 30 October 2026, so they are the best guide to current rules. The state also has a Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in Gandhinagar, the office the RPwD Act sets up to hear rights complaints.

Almost every scheme starts with a disability certificate. Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, a "person with benchmark disability" has 40% or more of a specified disability, and the certificate is valid across India. Gujarat then sets its own bar for some schemes: 40% for most, 50% for the intellectual disability assistance and 60% for Sant Surdas. So the exact percentage on your child's certificate matters. Our guide on how to apply for a disability certificate covers the assessment, and our explainer on autism disability percentage and ISAA scoring shows how an autism percentage is worked out.

Central schemes that apply in Gujarat too

These work the same in Ahmedabad, Surat or a village in Kutch, and they sit alongside the state schemes.

UDID card: apply on swavlambancard.gov.in. DEPwD runs the system and the application fee is nil. See our UDID how-to for parents.
ADIP aids and appliances: 100% subsidy if monthly family income is up to Rs 22,500 and 50% for Rs 22,501 to Rs 30,000. Apply through an implementing agency or the ARJUN portal (adip.depwd.gov.in). The ALIMCO helpline is 1800 180 5129 (ADIP details).
Central scholarships for students with disabilities: pre-matric for Class 9 and 10 and post-matric from Class 11, for 40% or more disability and family income up to Rs 2.5 lakh a year, on the National Scholarship Portal (DEPwD pre-matric page).
Niramaya health insurance for autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities. Gujarat's own page says the state government pays the premium. See our Niramaya walkthrough.
Income tax deductions for parents: our tax benefits guide.
Railway concession: how to apply for the concession card.

Gujarat disability schemes for children at a glance

Scheme	Who it is for	What it gives	Where to apply
Sant Surdas Yojana	60% or more disability	Rs 1,000 a month by DBT to a bank or post office account	e-Samaj Kalyan portal or e-Gram centre
Financial assistance for persons with intellectual disability (Manodivyang)	50% or more intellectual disability, cerebral palsy or autism; 40% or more muscular dystrophy or chronic neurological conditions; age 0 to 79	Financial assistance (the department page does not state the amount)	District Social Defence office
Scholarship for students with disabilities	40% or more disability, passed the last exam with 40% marks, satisfactory attendance	Per year: Std 1 to 8 Rs 1,500; Std 9 to 12 and ITI Rs 2,000 (day scholar) or Rs 2,500 (hosteller); higher rates for college; reader allowance for blind students	Digital Gujarat portal, through the school or by the student
Free travel in GSRTC buses	40% or more disability	Free travel in all types of GSRTC buses in Gujarat, and up to the last station on routes that go outside the state	e-Samaj Kalyan portal or e-Gram centre
Divyang Sadhan Sahay (aids)	40% or more disability	Aids such as a tricycle, folding wheelchair, hearing aid, callipers, braille kit or MR kit, once every 3 years	e-Samaj Kalyan portal
Niramaya health insurance	Intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, multiple disabilities	Cover up to Rs 1 lakh, with the premium paid by the state	National Trust registered organisations or the State Nodal Agency Centre

Sant Surdas Yojana: check which rules your office uses

The department page for Sant Surdas now says the scheme is for people with 60% or more disability and pays Rs 1,000 a month. It shows no age or BPL condition. The national myScheme listing still describes the older version: ages 0 to 17, 80% or more disability and a BPL card with a score up to 20, with payments stopping at 18.

Go by the department page, but ask your District Social Defence Officer which conditions they apply. Bring your BPL certificate if you have one, so a mismatch between pages does not cost you a second trip.

Children with intellectual disability, cerebral palsy or autism

The Manodivyang assistance page is the one Gujarat cash assistance scheme that names autism and cerebral palsy outright, and it covers ages 0 to 79, so young children qualify. The threshold is 50% for intellectual disability, cerebral palsy and autism. The page does not state the monthly amount or whether it can be combined with Sant Surdas, so ask the district office both questions in the same visit.

The Divyang scholarship

The scholarship page lists annual rates paid for up to 10 months. It is not paid if attendance is irregular, if the student has stopped studying, or if the student already gets another government scholarship. myScheme confirms it covers any of the 21 disabilities in the RPwD Act at 40% or more. There is no exception to the 40% marks rule for any disability, so if your child is in a special school or on a modified curriculum, ask how marks are counted before the school applies.

How to apply in Gujarat, step by step

Get the disability certificate and UDID first. The percentage on it decides which schemes are open to your child.
Register on esamajkalyan.gujarat.gov.in under Citizen Login, New User. Enter your child's name as on Aadhaar, gender, date of birth, Aadhaar number and email.
Log in, open User Profile, fill every mandatory field and click Update.
Pick the scheme from the home page, fill the form and upload documents. Save, accept the terms and submit.
Print the application and note the application number. You track status by logging in again.
If you are not comfortable online, go to the e-Gram centre in your village or the Digital Seva Setu counter. The department says some benefits can be issued there in a single day.
For the scholarship, ask the school principal to apply on digitalgujarat.gov.in, or apply yourself, and keep the receipt.

Documents to keep ready

Disability certificate or disability identity card showing the percentage, from the District Civil Surgeon or Medical Superintendent, with the UDID number if issued
Aadhaar card
Passport-size photograph
Proof of age: birth certificate or school leaving certificate
Proof of residence: ration card, electricity bill, driving licence, Aadhaar or election card
First page of the bank passbook or a cancelled cheque
Caste certificate, if applicable, and BPL certificate if you have one
For the scholarship: last year's marksheet and school details

Scan everything in one go and keep the files in a folder on your phone. e-Samaj Kalyan asks for uploads, and having clean scans ready saves a long evening at the cyber cafe.

When an application gets stuck

Start with the District Social Defence Officer, who has the authority to verify and approve these applications. Visit with your application number and a printout, and follow up in writing. If the district does not respond, write to the Directorate of Social Defence in Gandhinagar, using the address and phone number above.

If a right is being denied, write to the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Gujarat. Section 80 of the RPwD Act lets a State Commissioner inquire into deprivation of rights, on a complaint or on their own, and take it up with the authorities. If the problem is the certificate itself, such as a percentage just below 50% or 60%, section 59 lets you appeal to the appellate authority the state has designated. Our practical guide to disability rights covers the wider picture.

Carely is a Bangalore team of therapists, so we cannot file Gujarat forms for you. Before you sit down with e-Samaj Kalyan, try our free disability benefits calculator to list the central benefits your child may qualify for. If your family is in Bangalore, our home therapy services cover speech, occupational and behaviour therapy.

Comparing states? See our guides for Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Sant Surdas Yojana amount and eligibility?

The department page says Rs 1,000 a month by DBT for people with 60% or more disability. Older listings still show 80%, ages 0 to 17 and a BPL condition, so confirm with your District Social Defence Officer which rules apply to your child.

Is there a Gujarat scheme for children with autism?

Yes. The financial assistance scheme for persons with intellectual disability covers autism, cerebral palsy and intellectual disability at 50% or more, from age 0. Children with autism can also use the scholarship, aids, bus travel and Niramaya if they meet those conditions.

Is GSRTC bus travel free for disabled children in Gujarat?

The department says persons with 40% or more disability get free travel in all types of GSRTC buses within Gujarat, and up to the last station on routes that leave the state. Apply on e-Samaj Kalyan or at an e-Gram centre. The page does not mention a free escort, so ask the district office if your child cannot travel alone.

How do I apply on the e-Samaj Kalyan portal?

Register as a new user with your child's Aadhaar details, complete the profile, pick the scheme and upload documents. Print the application and keep the number. The District Social Defence Officer then verifies and approves it.

Can my child get the Gujarat scholarship and a central scholarship together?

No. The state page says the scholarship is not paid to a student who already receives another government scholarship, and the central scheme also allows only one. Compare the amounts for your child's class and apply for the better one.

Sources

By The Carely Team