From correspondents in Delhi, India, 06:30 PM IST

The central government Thursday gave its green signal to signing and ratifying a United Nations convention on the rights of people with disabilities.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities seeks to promote, protect and ensure equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people with disabilities, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said here after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

It also aims at promoting respect for their inherent dignity, he said.

The convention includes people with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment, which can hinder their participation in society on an equal basis with others.

The general principles of the convention are respect for the inherent dignity, individual autonomy, independence of persons, non-discrimination, equality of opportunity, accessibility and equality between man and woman, among other things.

India has 21.9 million people with disabilities who constitute 2.13 percent of the total population, Dasmunsi said quoting the Census 2001 report.

Seventy five percent of disabled people live in rural areas, while 49 percent are literate and only 34 percent are employed, the minister added.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)