72 lakh teachers get training to identify disability in students

1. At a Glance

• The Ministry of Education has trained up to 72 lakh general teachers in up to 60,000 schools to spot children who may have a disability. The training uses PRASHAST, a screening tool used inside schools [1].
• PRASHAST stands for "Pre Assessment Holistic Screening Tool". It is a checklist and mobile app that covers all 21 disabilities listed under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 [1][3].
• It is meant to involve regular teachers, not only special educators, in screening students systematically. Early screening leads to certification of children with disabilities under Samagra Shiksha [2][3].
• UPSC relevance: it links rights-based disability law, inclusive education under NEP 2020, and how the Samagra Shiksha scheme is delivered. These fall under GS-II (welfare of vulnerable sections, education).

2. Why in the News

• October 2026: The Hindu reported a nationwide outreach to up to 60,000 schools and 72 lakh teachers. The Ministry of Education trained teachers to identify children with probable disability conditions using PRASHAST [1].
• A senior Ministry official said the Department of School Education had been running continuous sensitisation of general teachers on inclusive education through PRASHAST for the past three months [1].
• The stated reason is that many disabilities, especially those without visible symptoms, are hard to identify. Schools also often lack systematic tools for early identification [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 1995: The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 recognised 7 types of disability [7].
• 2016: Parliament passed the RPwD Bill, 2016, which raised the number of disability types from 7 to 21. It also gave the Central Government power to add more [7].
• 19 April 2017: The RPwD Act came into effect, replacing the 1995 Act [6].
• 2018–19: The Department of School Education & Literacy (then under MHRD) launched Samagra Shiksha, an integrated school-education scheme. It covers children with special needs (CWSN) from Classes I–XII [8].
• 2022: DoSEL launched the Disability Screening Checklist for Schools and the PRASHAST Android app during Shikshak Parv 2022. The app was developed by CIET, NCERT [3][4].
• 2025: PIB described PRASHAST as part of the NEP 2020 inclusive-schooling push. It is available as a Flipbook and a mobile app [5].
• 2025: PRASHAST 2.0 improved the mobile and web platforms. More than 92 lakh students had been screened at the preliminary level through the app [3][6].
• 2026: The training of 72 lakh general teachers was carried out over about three months [1].

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Full form	PRASHAST: Pre Assessment Holistic Screening Tool [3][4]
Developer	CIET (Central Institute of Educational Technology), NCERT [3][4]
Launching body	Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education [3][4]
Launch occasion	Shikshak Parv, 2022 [3][4]
Formats	Booklet / Flipbook, Android mobile app; 2.0 version adds a web platform [2][5][6]
Structure	Two-part checklist (Part-1 and Part-2) [1][2]
Workflow	General teachers screen students on observable indicators, then special educators validate cases and arrange referrals for medical assessment where needed [1]
Coverage	21 disabilities under the RPwD Act 2016, including benchmark disabilities [2][3]
Scheme linkage	Early screening leads to certification under Samagra Shiksha provisions [3]
Scale (2026)	Up to 60,000 schools, 72 lakh teachers [1]
Students screened	More than 92 lakh at the preliminary level [6]

RPwD Act, 2016: examinable points

• It recognises 21 categories of disability. It mandates reservation in education and employment and makes accessibility and non-discrimination a legal duty of governments [6].
• Disabilities added for the first time: Speech & Language Disability and Specific Learning Disability. Acid attack victims are now included [7].
• Dwarfism and muscular dystrophy are listed as separate classes of disability [7].
• Three blood disorders are covered: Thalassemia, Haemophilia and Sickle Cell disease [7].
• Inclusive education is defined in the Act as a system where students with and without disability learn together, with teaching adapted to their needs [7].
• Government-funded and government-recognised institutions must provide inclusive education to children with disabilities [7].

Samagra Shiksha: CWSN component

• It funds identification and assessment camps, aids and appliances, assistive devices, and teaching-learning materials (TLMs) [8].
• It provides ICT resources such as JAWS and SAFA, plus transport, escort and scribe allowances, and a stipend for girls with special needs (Classes I–XII) [8].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Social

• Many disabilities, especially those without visible symptoms such as Specific Learning Disability, often go unnoticed. Screening by general teachers closes this gap [1][7].
• Early identification lets children get Samagra Shiksha benefits such as aids, allowances and stipends for girls. This can reduce dropout among CWSN [8].
• There is a risk of labelling if teacher screening is not followed by proper validation. The tool's two-step design (teacher screens, special educator validates) is meant to reduce this [1].

Legal / Constitutional

• The initiative puts into practice the RPwD Act's duty on government and government-recognised institutions to provide inclusive education [7].
• The tool matches the Act's 21-category list, which is what makes the screening legally meaningful [2][3].

Administrative / Governance

• Training 72 lakh teachers spreads first-level identification across the whole teaching force. This eases the shortage of special educators, whose role shifts to validation and referral [1].
• How well it works depends on the referral chain: medical assessment, then disability certificates, then benefits under Samagra Shiksha [1][3].
• The scale, 92 lakh students screened, can be tracked through a digital tool, which improves data for planning [6].

Scientific / Technological

• The tool is digital: an Android app built by CIET-NCERT, with PRASHAST 2.0 adding mobile and web platforms [3][6].
• Limitation: a tool based on observable indicators is a pre-assessment, not a diagnosis. It cannot replace clinical evaluation [1][3].

Ethical

• Privacy and consent issues arise when health-related data on minors is stored digitally. Sensitising teachers is needed to avoid stigma [1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• July 2025: PIB's "Classrooms of Change: NEP 2020" note highlighted that PRASHAST had empowered teachers to identify and support children with any of the 21 disabilities [5].
• December 2025: PIB's "India's Commitment to Disability Rights" (2 December 2025) restated the Act's 21 categories and reservation mandate [6].
• 2025: The PRASHAST 2.0 upgrade was released, and more than 92 lakh students had been screened at the preliminary level [6].
• About July–October 2026: DoSEL ran three months of continuous sensitisation of general teachers, reaching up to 72 lakh teachers in about 60,000 schools (reported 9 October 2026) [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• PRASHAST = Pre Assessment Holistic Screening Tool [3].
• PRASHAST was developed by CIET, NCERT, not by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment [3][4].
• It was launched during Shikshak Parv, 2022 by the Department of School Education & Literacy [3][4].
• It screens for all 21 disabilities listed under the RPwD Act, 2016 [2][3].
• It is a two-part checklist (Part-1 and Part-2) [1][2].
• General teachers screen; special educators validate and refer for medical assessment [1].
• The 2026 outreach covered 72 lakh teachers and up to 60,000 schools [1].
• More than 92 lakh students have been screened at the preliminary level via PRASHAST [6].
• The RPwD Act, 2016 replaced the PwD Act, 1995 and raised disability categories from 7 to 21 [7].
• The RPwD Act came into force on 19 April 2017 [6].
• Specific Learning Disability and Speech & Language Disability were added for the first time under the 2016 Act [7].
• The three blood disorders recognised are Thalassemia, Haemophilia and Sickle Cell disease [7].
• Samagra Shiksha was launched in 2018–19 and covers CWSN from Class I to XII [8].
• JAWS and SAFA are ICT resources provided to CWSN under Samagra Shiksha [8].

8. What the 72 Lakh Figure Does Not Tell Us

• The number counts teachers trained, not children helped
• The headline says up to 72 lakh teachers in up to 60,000 schools were trained [1].
• It does not say how many children those teachers flagged, how many were confirmed, or how many now get support.

• A training count measures effort (input). It does not measure results (outcome).

• "Up to" is a ceiling, not a count

• Both figures are reported as "up to" [1]. So the real reach may be lower.

• In an answer, write "up to 72 lakh teachers", not "72 lakh teachers".

• The training was short and called "sensitisation"

• The official said it was continuous sensitisation over about three months [1].
• Sensitisation (making teachers aware of an issue) is not the same as training them to screen accurately.

• The sources do not say how teachers were tested or certified after the training.

• The 92 lakh figure stops at the first step

• More than 92 lakh students were screened "at the preliminary level" [6].
• None of the sources says how many of them were then checked by a special educator, sent to a doctor, or given a certificate.
• Without those later numbers, nobody can judge whether screening turns into help.

9. Where a Flagged Child Can Get Stuck

• A child must pass four separate steps before getting any benefit
• Step 1: a general teacher screens the child on observable indicators (signs the teacher can see in class) [1].
• Step 2: a special educator checks the case [1].
• Step 3: the child is referred for a medical assessment [1].
• Step 4: certification, and only then benefits under Samagra Shiksha [3][8].

• If any one step is missing, the child is "identified" on paper but gets nothing.

• The weak step is the special educator in the middle

• The whole design works only if a special educator is there to validate each flagged case [1].
• Training 72 lakh general teachers adds many people at Step 1. It adds no one at Step 2.

• More flags with the same number of validators means a longer queue, not faster help.

• Different steps sit with different systems

• Screening is run by the Ministry of Education through CIET-NCERT [3][4].
• Medical assessment happens in the health system, outside the school [1].

• So a school can do its part fully, and the child can still wait for a hospital appointment the school does not control.

• Screening covers 21 disabilities, but many benefits need a certified level of disability

• PRASHAST screens for all 21 disabilities, including benchmark disabilities [2][3].
• Benchmark disability means a certified disability of 40% or more. The Act's reservation rights depend on this certificate [6].
• A child with a milder learning difficulty may be flagged correctly but still not qualify for some benefits.

10. Can a General Teacher Really Spot a Disability?

• The strongest case against teacher screening
• Many disabilities have no visible symptoms [1]. Specific Learning Disability (difficulty with reading, writing or maths despite normal intelligence) is one of them [7].
• A child may read poorly for other reasons: weak teaching, frequent absence, or being taught in a language not spoken at home.

• A teacher using only "observable indicators" [1] cannot easily tell these apart. This can label the wrong children and miss the right ones.

• The honest answer: the teacher is the only adult who sees every child every day

• Special educators are few and cannot observe every classroom. That is why the role is split: teachers screen, special educators validate [1].
• PRASHAST is a pre-assessment (a first check), not a diagnosis [1][3]. The teacher only raises a flag. The final decision is not theirs.

• Without a first screen, children with hidden disabilities are often never noticed at all [1].

• What the critics get right

• The safety net against wrong labels is the validation step [1]. If special educators are not available, the teacher's flag becomes the final word in practice.
• So teacher screening is sound only where the validation step actually works.

11. What Should Happen After the Training

• DoSEL should publish the full chain of numbers, not just the first step
• Today the public numbers are teachers trained (72 lakh) and students screened (92 lakh) [1][6].
• PRASHAST is already an app with a web platform [3][6]. It can record each later step too.

• DoSEL should report: flagged → validated → referred → certified → receiving benefits. A large fall at any step shows where the system breaks.

• States should use Samagra Shiksha camps to close the medical gap

• Samagra Shiksha already funds identification and assessment camps for CWSN (children with special needs) [8].
• Holding these camps at school, soon after screening, brings the doctor to the child. The family does not have to travel to a hospital.

• This shortens the slowest step in the chain.

• CIET-NCERT should set clear consent and privacy rules for the app

• The app stores health-related information about minors [3][6].
• Parents should agree before a child's data is entered. They should also know who can see it.

• A flag that leaks, or follows a child that was never confirmed, causes the very stigma the scheme is trying to remove.

• The Ministry of Education should test teachers, not just count them

• The RPwD Act makes inclusive education a legal duty of government-funded and government-recognised schools [7].
• To meet that duty, the Ministry needs to know whether trained teachers screen correctly. A simple check would show this: compare teacher flags with special educator decisions.

12. Anchors for Answers

• Data: Up to 72 lakh general teachers in up to 60,000 schools sensitised to use PRASHAST over about three months [1]
• Data: More than 92 lakh students screened at the preliminary level through PRASHAST; no public figure yet for how many were validated or certified [6]
• Law/Case: RPwD Act, 2016: 21 disabilities, inclusive education is a duty of government-funded and government-recognised institutions [7]; in force from 19 April 2017 [6]
• Scheme: Samagra Shiksha CWSN component: funds identification and assessment camps, aids and appliances, and allowances. This is where a flagged child actually gets help [8]

13. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: "Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population… mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies for the protection of these sections"; "Issues relating to development and management of social sector/services relating to Education."
• GS-I (supplementary): Social empowerment.
• GS-IV (case-study angle): Dignity, non-discrimination and empathy toward persons with disabilities.
• Possible question stems: 1. "Early identification is the weakest link in India's inclusive education architecture." Examine this in light of recent teacher-led disability screening initiatives. (250 words) 2. The RPwD Act, 2016 widened the definition of disability from 7 to 21 categories. Discuss the implications for school education and the challenges in putting it into practice. (250 words) 3. Can general teachers serve as the first line of disability identification? Critically analyse, with reference to capacity, the referral chain and the risk of stigma. (150 words)

14. Related Topics to Study Next

• RPwD Act, 2016: benchmark disability (40%), reservation, the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. This is the legal base of the 21 categories.
• Samagra Shiksha (including the CWSN component): the scheme through which screening turns into benefits.
• NEP 2020 (Equity & Inclusion; Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups): the policy framework that PRASHAST serves.
• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD): the international obligation behind the 2016 Act.
• Unique Disability ID (UDID) / disability certification: the step after screening and medical referral.
• Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan): the accessibility side of disability rights.
• NCERT/CIET digital initiatives (DIKSHA, PM e-VIDYA): the same institution and digital delivery model.
• RCI (Rehabilitation Council of India) and special educator training: the validators in the PRASHAST workflow.

15. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 (Polity): The legal base of PRASHAST: it recognises the 21 disabilities the tool screens for and mandates inclusive education.
• Benchmark disability (Polity): Disability of 40% or more is certified as benchmark disability, which unlocks reservation and Samagra Shiksha benefits after screening.
• Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (Polity): Statutory body that monitors the RPwD Act and hears complaints; the note lists it as a key Act institution.
• Accessible India Campaign (Polity): Covers the accessibility side of disability rights, which complements the education-side screening effort described here.
• Equity (Geography): Early screening aims at equal access to schooling for children with disabilities, and so ties to equity and dropout.
• Social justice (Polity): Disability rights and inclusive schooling are part of removing disadvantage, a core GS-II theme on vulnerable sections.

16. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Wrong ministry: PRASHAST belongs to the Ministry of Education (DoSEL) and was developed by CIET-NCERT. It is not from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, which sits under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment [3][4].
• Screening is not certification: PRASHAST is a pre-assessment tool. Teachers only flag cases; special educators validate them, and a medical assessment is still needed [1].
• Wrong numbers: the Act lists 21 disabilities, not 7 (that was the 1995 Act). The 72 lakh figure is teachers trained; the 92 lakh figure is students screened [1][6][7].
• Act year vs commencement: the Act was passed in 2016 but came into force on 19 April 2017 [6][7].
• Samagra Shiksha scope: it covers Classes I–XII (it merged earlier schemes) and was launched in 2018–19. Don't confuse it with SSA's elementary-only coverage [8].