Kozhikode becomes first Kerala district to achieve full disability ID registration

Kozhikode has become the first district in Kerala to complete Universal Disability ID (UDID) registration under the Social Justice department’s Tanmudra campaign. A total of 57,766 differently abled persons have been registered, marking a major milestone in disability inclusion.

The UDID project, launched to provide a single nationwide digital identity card for persons with disabilities, was actively implemented in Kozhikode with the support of NSS volunteers. The district,  which records one of the highest numbers of differently abled persons in Kerala, now leads the registration drive.

In 2019, a district survey had identified nearly 57,000 persons with disabilities. By April 2024, however, only around 44,000 people had been registered on the Swavlamban portal. The Tanmudra drive helped close this gap, bringing the remaining beneficiaries into the system.

Kozhikode is home to several rehabilitation centres, inclusive schools, and community groups that played a key role in supporting the campaign. Officials said the registration would enable beneficiaries to access welfare schemes, medical assistance, and other social justice programmes more efficiently.

Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice R. Bindu told the media that Kozhikode would be officially declared the first fully registered district on Saturday (August 23).