JUDGMENT

A.K. Sikri (Acting Chief Justice)

1. Army Wives Welfare Association ('AWWF' for brevity) is a voluntary and Non-Government Organization (NGO) established with an intention to carry out charity. It started a school for handicapped children of Army Personnel known as "Asha school". Some funding is provided to this school by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India (appellant herein). In this behalf, the appellants have issued guidelines in the year, 1999 which stated that DD Division of the Ministry has been administering four NGO Schemes, viz., "Scheme to Promote Voluntary Action Persons with Disabilities" ('scheme' in short) since 1992-93 and in order to broaden the objective of the Scheme and to make it in consonance with the provisions of The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1955 [hereinafter referred to as 'Disabilities Act'], all these Schemes have been merged into one umbrella scheme with effect from 20.1.1999. Some of the salient features of the Scheme are as under:

"Introduction

1.0 The enactment of the people with Disabilities, Equal Opportunities and protection of Rights