Lucknow Gears Up for North Zone Abilympics 2025: 100+ PwDs to Compete, Minister Narendra Kumar Kashyap to Inaugurate
Lucknow is all set to host the North Zone Regional Abilympics & Conference 2025 on August 1–2 at the Atal Convention Centre, bringing together over 100 Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) from eight northern states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
The two-day event will be inaugurated by Narendra Kumar Kashyap, Minister for Backward Classes and Welfare of Disabled Empowerment, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
Nicknamed the Olympics of Abilities, the Abilympics are organized by the National Abilympic Association of India (NAAI) in collaboration with Sarthak Educational Trust, and supported by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), TPCDT, and IndusInd Bank.
What’s Happening:
Live competitions in skill-based trades like Photography, Painting, Basket Making, Hairdressing, Massage, Cake Decoration, and more.
A job fair on Day 1 featuring inclusive employers offering on-the-spot interviews and career guidance.
A national conference focusing on inclusive skilling, employment gaps, and systemic reforms for PwD empowerment.
Sarthak Educational Trust, which runs skill and employment centers in Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Prayagraj, and Varanasi, has trained and placed over 15,000 PwD youth in Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Jitender Aggarwal, Founder & CEO of Sarthak and Secretary-General of NAAI, emphasized the broader mission:
“This is more than a competition. It’s a movement to unlock economic dignity, confidence, and careers for millions of PwDs across India.”
India currently faces a 64% unemployment rate among PwDs, a 70% shortage of rehab professionals, and has fewer than 60 certified accessibility auditors nationwide. The conference will address these challenges head-on with voices from government, corporate, academic, and NGO sectors.
Winners from this regional edition will advance to the National Abilympics in New Delhi this November, competing for a chance to represent India at the 11th International Abilympics in Finland in 2027.
This isn’t just an event. It’s a call for inclusion, opportunity, and change.
