UP govt gave one-time pension to 10.68 lakh 'divyang' during lockdown: Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for coining the term 'divyang' and motivating the differently-abled to move ahead in their lives. He also said around 10.68 lakh 'divyaang' or specially-abled people were given one-time pension by his government during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Adityanath was speaking during the convocation ceremony of Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University.

A bronze statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was unveiled on the occasion.


A stamp on the university was also released during the event.

Addressing the seventh convocation ceremony of the university, Adityanath said, "We all are indebted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who called the differently-abled 'divyang' instead of 'viklang'. I offer my gratitude to him for coining this word and motivating the 'divyangjan' to move ahead.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, around 10.68 lakh 'divyang' people were given one-time pension. Apart from this, Rs 1,000 each was sent to their accounts," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, who was also present at the event, gave medals to the students.

"This university is different, as the 'normal' and the 'divyang' study here together," former chairman of Sahitya Akademi, Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari said at the event.

He added that 'divyang' symbolises divinity.