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{{Short description|Indian social entrepreneur and disability rights activist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Nipun Malhotra
| image = Nipun_Malhotra,_Hi-Res.jpg
| alt = 
| caption =
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|09|01|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| nationality = Indian
| alma_mater = {{Ubl
| [[St.Stephen's College, Delhi]]
| [[Delhi University]]
| [[Delhi School of Economics]]
| [[Indian School of Business]]
}}
| occupation =
| parents =
| organization = Nipman Foundation
| known for = Disability activism
}}

'''Nipun Malhotra''' (born 1 September 1987) is an Indian [[social entrepreneur]] and [[disability rights]] activist. He was born in [[Mumbai]], Maharashtra, with [[arthrogryposis]]. In 2012, he started a disability rights advocacy organization based in Delhi called Nipman Foundation. Malhotra is the Founder Chair of [[Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry]]'s (FICCI) Diversity & Inclusion Working Group on Empowering Persons with Disability.<ref>{{cite news |title=Corporates join hands to promote diversity and inclusivity |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/corporates-join-hands-to-promote-diversity-and-inclusivity/articleshow/73081912.cms |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=Times of India |agency=TNN |date=3 January 2020}}</ref>

==Education==
Malhotra studied economics at [[St.Stephen's College, Delhi|St. Stephen's College]], [[Delhi University]] and [[Delhi School of Economics]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kattakayam |first1=Jiby J |title=Man who travels on wheels is opening doors of hope for many |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-man-who-travels-on-wheels-is-opening-doors-of-hope-for-many-2283670 |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=DNA |date=17 December 2016}}</ref> He later attended the [[Indian School of Business]]. <ref>{{Cite news |title=A little goes a long way|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/supplement/story/20141013-a-little-goes-a-long-way-805460-2014-10-04|work=India Today|date=4 October 2014}}</ref>

== Advocacy Work ==
===Delhi Odd-Even rule exemption===
Malhotra filed a writ petition in the [[Delhi High Court]] in December 2015 seeking exemption of private vehicles of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) from the [[Odd%E2%80%93even rationing#India|Odd-Even rule]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dehadrai |first1=Jai Anant |title=After Kejriwal's Odd-Even Formula Forgot About The Specially-Abled, This Man Successfully Fought For It |url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/after-kejriwal-s-odd-even-formula-forgot-about-the-specially-abled-this-man-successfully-fought-for-it-248815.html |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=India Times |date=27 December 2015}}</ref> Under this rule, vehicles with registration numbers ending in odd numbers are allowed on the roads on only odd days and even-numbered vehicles are allowed on the roads on only even days. The rule was announced to be introduced in Delhi in 2016 to reduce pollution and smog. However, the private vehicles of PwDs are generally retrofitted to meet their needs and due to lack of accessible infrastructure and accessible public transport, PwDs could only have moved out on alternate days. His petition led to an exception being carved out for PwDs and a status check on disability audit of Government buildings and the infrastructure [[retrofitting]] done by the Government to check how accessible Delhi was for Persons with Disabilities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jha |first1=Durgesh Nandan |title=Odd-even: Last petitioner standing wants disability audit |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Odd-even-Last-petitioner-standing-wants-disability-audit/articleshow/50553195.cms |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=Times of India |date=13 January 2016}}</ref>

===Low-floor accessible buses===
As a result of Malhotra's writ petition in the [[Supreme Court of India]], the [[Government of Delhi]] was directed to only buy low-floor buses in Delhi.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mahapatra |first1=Dhananjay |title=After PIL, SC seeks Delhi government's response on buying only low-floor buses |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/68016782.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=Times of India |date=16 February 2019}}</ref> The government had taken a decision on 1 September 2017 to induct 2,000 standard-floor buses. The petition challenged Delhi government and the [[Delhi Transport Corporation]]'s (DTC) decision to buy 2,000 standard-floor buses instead of low-floor buses for the national capital.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Pritam Pal |title=Delhi High Court halts move to add standard-floor buses |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-high-court-halts-move-to-add-standard-floor-buses/ |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=The Indian Express |date=13 June 2018}}</ref> On 5 August 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of mandating low-floor buses in Delhi.

===Insurance and congenital anomalies===
The writ petition asked the [[Government of India]] to direct [[Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India]] (IRDAI) and insurance companies to remove congenital anomalies from the list of general exclusions in the health or life insurance policies.<ref>{{cite news |title=No insurance cover to persons suffering from congenital anomalies: Delhi HC seeks IRDAI explanation |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/no-insurance-cover-to-persons-suffering-from-congenital-anomalies-hc-seeks-irdai-explanation-5408805/ |work=The Indian Express |date=19 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=HC asks insurance cos to change attitude towards disabled |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/pti-feed/hc-asks-insurance-cos-to-change-attitude-towards-disabled/story/322943.html |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=Business Today |date=27 February 2019}}</ref> IRDAI had been denying the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) to seek insurance cover for themselves on the ground that their conditions were categorized under the scope of "congenital anomalies", which was allowed as an exception to granting insurance.<ref>{{cite news |title=HC seeks explanation from IRDAI for not granting insurance cover to people suffering from congenital anomalies. |url=https://www.latestlaws.com/latest-news/hc-seeks-explanation-from-irdai-for-not-granting-insurance-cover-to-people-suffering-from-congenital-anomalies/ |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=Latest Laws.com |date=20 October 2018}}</ref>

===GST on disability aids and assistive devices===
The [[Goods and Services Tax (India)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST) on Braille typewriters and papers, carriages for the disabled, wheelchairs and other assistive devices was fixed at rates of 5–18%. This was claimed by some to be equivalent to a tax on walking or seeing.<ref>{{cite news |title=Schoolboy bats for removal of GST on equipment for divyang |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-schoolboy-bats-for-removal-of-gst-on-equipment-for-divyang |accessdate=21 May 2020 |work=The Free Press Journal |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> The GST rate on all mobility and disability aids across India has now been reduced from 18% to 5% after the 16th GST council meeting. However, the petition aims for a zero-rated GST, with a special refund scheme for input tax credit. This means that the entire value chain of the supply should be exempt from tax. Under this regime, not only is the final output exempt from payment of tax, the input for making/providing the output supply is exempted too.<ref name="BS-20170822">{{cite news |title=GST levy on equipment for disabled; SC seeks Centre's reply |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/gst-levy-on-equipment-for-disabled-sc-seeks-centre-s-reply-117082200026_1.html |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=[[Business Standard]] |agency=[[Press Trust of India|PTI]] |date=22 August 2017}}</ref>

===Indian Sign Language (ISL) recognition===
In order to recognize [[Indian Sign Language]] as the 23rd official language of India, Malhotra filed a writ petition in the [[Delhi High Court]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wangchuk |first1=Rinchen Norbu |title=Meet the Delhi Man Fighting To Get Indian Sign Language Officially Recognised |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/159928/nipun-malhotra-indian-sign-language-delhi/ |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=The Better India |date=21 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Aasheesh |title=Breach the wall of silence: Give State recognition to Indian Sign Language |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/breach-the-wall-of-silence-give-state-recognition-to-indian-sign-language/story-hg7lj7LTWzfKgYB19prOhP.html |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=Hindustan Times |date=25 September 2018}}</ref> ISL gives an identity to the deaf community and is the only language they use to communicate. The issue was submitted for the consideration of the central government and they took notice of the matter. The quest to formalise Indian Sign Language gained momentum after this petition.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dhillon |first1=Dilsher |title=The quest to formalise Indian Sign Language is gaining momentum |url=https://www.businessinsider.in/the-quest-to-formalise-indian-sign-language-is-gaining-momentum/articleshow/66534786.cms |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=Business Insider India |date=7 November 2018}}</ref> The government in power committed to spend more resources on the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre. For the first time ever, the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] released a 12-minute video explaining the highlights of the party’s manifesto in sign language for the [[2019 Indian general election]]<ref>{{cite news |title=CPI(M) releases video explaining manifesto in sign language |url=https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha-2019/cpim-releases-video-explaining-manifesto-in-sign-language/article26758200.ece |accessdate=22 May 2020 |work=The Hindu |date=6 April 2019}}</ref> and the largest opposition party in India, [[Indian National Congress]], promised to recognize Indian Sign Language in their national election manifesto.<ref>{{cite web |title=SWABHIMAAN Self-Esteem For The Deprived - Persons with Disabilities |url=https://manifesto.inc.in/en/persons_with_disabilities.html |publisher=Indian National Congress |accessdate=22 May 2020}}</ref>

===Zomato's disabled-friendly filter===
There were not too many restaurants in Delhi and other Indian cities that advertised themselves as disabled-friendly.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pandey |first1=Vikas |title=Making restaurant visits 'a pleasure' for India's disabled |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35118750 |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=BBC News, Delhi |date=18 December 2015}}</ref> Malhotra was denied entry at Keya, located in DLF Promenade Mall in Vasant Kunj in March 2015 because "as a 'policy', the restaurant did not allow entry to disabled persons".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pareek |first1=Shreya |title=After Being Denied Entry in a Restaurant, This Man Got Zomato to Add a Disabled Friendly Filter |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/31211/filter-for-disabled-friendly-restaurants-on-zomato/ |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=The Better India |date=11 August 2015}}</ref> Protests by disability-rights groups forced the [[Aam Aadmi Party]] government to order a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Malhotra contacted executives at the [[Zomato]] restaurant review and delivery website in August 2015 and suggested introducing a feature that could filter "disabled-friendly" restaurants. The idea was welcomed by them. The filter was added to the Zomato app in six metropolitan areas{{Snd}} Delhi, Mumbai, [[Bangalore]], [[Hyderabad]], [[Kolkata]] and [[Chennai]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gulati |first1=Sumegha |title=Thanks Nipun! Zomato Will Now List 'Disabled-friendly' Restaurants |url=https://www.thequint.com/videos/thanks-nipun-zomato-will-now-list-disabled-friendly-restaurants |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=the quint |date=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bose |first1=Adrija |title=This 27-Year-Old Got Zomato To List 'Disabled-Friendly' Restaurants |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/08/10/zomato-disabled-friendly_n_7963784.html |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=Huffington Post |date=10 August 2015}}</ref>

===X-ray scanning in airport security===
After being harassed and mocked by the [[Central Industrial Security Force]] (CISF) officer on duty at the [[Bangalore Airport]] on 30 November 2016,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shakil |first1=Sana |title=Wheelchair-bound passenger 'humiliated' at Bangalore airport |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-wheelchair-bound-passenger-humiliated-at-bangalore-airport-2281449 |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=DNA India |date=10 December 2016}}</ref> Malhotra, along with some other disability activists, lobbied with CISF to ease security procedures for PwDs at airports. There had been multiple similar reported instances from across the country. On 11 October 2017, the [[Bureau of Civil Aviation Security]] (BCAS) allowed using [[X-ray]] scanning for [[prosthetics]] and [[orthotics]] only as a measure of last resort. It was decided that checking of PwDs with a hand-held [[explosives trace detector]] (ETD) device would suffice and X-ray screening would only be used in cases of "sufficient doubt." Instructions were also issued to make wheelchair users get up from their wheelchairs only in exceptional cases for security checks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bhatnagar |first1=Gaurav Vivek |title=Bureau of Civil Aviation and Security Allows for X-Ray Scanning for PwDs as Measure of Last Resort |url=https://thewire.in/government/bureau-civil-aviation-security-accepts-recommendations-x-ray-pwd-last-resort |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=The Wire |date=13 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gandhiok |first1=Jasjeev |title=No X-ray screening for disabled at airports |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/no-x-ray-screening-for-disabled-at-airports/articleshow/61074850.cms |accessdate=22 May 2020 |work=The Times of India |date=14 October 2017}}</ref>

==Nipman Foundation Microsoft Equal Opportunity Awards==
The Equal Opportunity Awards were instituted in 2014 to recognize organizations and individuals making significant contributions to people with disabilities in their workspace and lifestyles.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nipman Foundation presented first edition of the Equal Opportunity Awards in Delhi |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/nipman-foundation-presented-first-edition-of-the-equal-opportunity-awards-in-delhi/articleshow/41353984.cms |accessdate=15 May 2020 |work=The Times of India |date=2 September 2014}}</ref>

The reason for starting the Awards was to encourage more companies to hire persons with disabilities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Nandita |title=With Nipman awards, we want to motivate companies to hire people with disabilities |url=https://theprint.in/report/nipun-malhotra-of-nipman-foundation/19269/ |accessdate=15 May 2020 |date=29 November 2017}}</ref> In 2016, Microsoft came on board as the title partner for the Awards. In the sixth edition of the Nipman Foundation Microsoft Equal Opportunity Awards in 2019, awards were given in seven categories: Technological Innovations Empowering PwDs, Non-technological Innovations Empowering PwDs, Companies Hiring PwDs, Inclusive and Integrated Schools, Physical Accessibility Promoting Universal Design, Entrepreneur with a Disability, and Professional with a Disability<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sirur |first1=Simrin |title=Being disability friendly a lesson in business & economics: Amitabh Kant |url=https://theprint.in/india/being-disability-friendly-a-lesson-in-business-economics-amitabh-kant/320767/ |accessdate=25 May 2020 |work=The Print |date=14 November 2019}}</ref>

==Wheels For Life==
Malhotra is the founder of Wheels for Life - a crowdsourcing platform connecting those who need wheelchairs to donors who can financially contribute for them. This initiative was started in October 2016.

==Project Delhi==
Malhotra co-founded Project Delhi in April 2020 for supporting Persons with Disabilities amidst the [[COVID-19 pandemic in India]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kuriakose |first1=Simi |title=Access Denied |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/access-denied-1699704-2020-07-12 |publisher=India Today |accessdate=31 July 2020}}</ref> The idea of Project Delhi was to help persons with disabilities procure essential items by offering contactless delivery of groceries and medicines. Those with mobility issues and high support needs were finding it difficult to step out for buying essentials, primarily groceries and medicines. Through Project Delhi, the volunteers signed up online and delivered these essentials to any disabled person at the MRP.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Banka |first1=Richa |title=People with disabilities suffer hardships |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/people-with-disabilities-suffer-hardships/story-4tvpCPZmsLMrf4nJGHVwSN.html |publisher=Hindustan Times |accessdate=31 July 2020}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.nipmanfoundationawards.com/index.html Equal Opportunity Awards]
*[http://www.wheelsforlife.in/index.html Wheels For Life]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malhotra, Nipun}}
[[Category:Indian disability rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Nipun Malhotra (social entrepreneur) - Revision history

MichaleYarbrough: minor changes

imported>Tassedethe: fix links