Project Ability Empowerment: SC appoints 8 NLUs to monitor institutions housing persons with cognitive disabilities

The Supreme Court of India has appointed National Law Universities throughout the country to undertake a nationwide monitoring of all care institutions housing persons with cognitive disabilities. 

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta has ordered that the monitoring be undertaken under the name and style of the “Project Ability Empowerment” by these eight National Law Universities each covering specific States and/or Union Territories, as under: 

1. National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, covering the States of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh and Union Territories of Puducherry and Lakshadweep Islands
2. National Law University, Delhi, covering the Union Territories of Delhi and Chandigarh.
3. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, covering the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
4. National Law University, Jodhpur, covering the States of Rajasthan and Gujarat and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
5. National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, covering the States of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.
6. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow, covering the States of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh
7. West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, covering the States of West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha and Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
8. Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai, covering the States of Maharashtra, Goa and Telangana.

These institutions, as per Supreme Court, in conjunction with the Advisory Group Expert Panel and other experts associated with the present report, shall undertake extensive monitoring of all care institutions, whether state-run or private, housing persons with cognitive disabilities. The monitoring shall also extend to examining the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.

The monitoring institutions shall commence their work within four weeks and a detailed consolidated report of the “Project Ability Empowerment” shall be submitted within six months, with actionable recommendations for systemic reforms and transition toward community based alternatives.  

In this regard, court has also issued directions to the states and union territories to provide logistical and administrative support, including access to records, facilities, and staff of the institutions. 

"The Chief Secretaries of all States/Union Territories shall designate a Nodal Officer, not below the rank of Secretary in the concerned Department, to liaise with the monitoring institutions and Advisory Group Expert Panel. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, shall extend central coordination support, particularly in respect of data consolidation and policy-level facilitation.", the judgment adds.

Additionally, all expenses incurred by the monitoring teams of the NLUs in the course of preparing and submitting their reports shall be borne in equal proportion by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, and the Social Justice Department of the concerned States/Union Territories. 

For the said purpose, the Union of India has been directed to provide an interim project fund to the tune of Rs. 25 lakhs each to the eight designated National Law Universities which shall be remitted to the NLU concerned and will be marked in a separate Head “Project Ability Empowerment”.

Case Title: JUSTICE SUNANDA BHANDARE FOUNDATION vs. U.O.I.

Judgment Date: September 12, 2025

Bench: Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta