Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Education on 12th August 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Executive Summary
This report addresses a Parliamentary query from August 12, 2026, regarding the availability of special educators for Children with Special Needs (CwSN) across India. It outlines the implementation of the Samagra Shiksha and PM SHRI schemes, which provide financial and structural support to States and UTs to ensure inclusive education from pre-primary to Class XII. Key data from UDISE+ 2025–26 confirms that 1.17 lakh schools currently employ dedicated special educators to support over 2.2 million enrolled CwSN.
Key Points / Main Content
Regulatory and Administrative Framework
Education is a Concurrent List subject, with school administration and teacher recruitment falling under the jurisdiction of State and UT governments.
The Samagra Shiksha framework allows Special Educators to be deployed at block or cluster levels, often working in an "itinerant mode" to cover multiple schools.
The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) regulates the training of rehabilitation professionals, with 1,081 approved institutions offering specialized courses.
Mandated Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTR)
The Department notified specific PTR standards for CwSN in general schools on September 21, 2022.
Primary level: One Special Educator is required for every 10 CwSN.
Upper-primary level: One Special Educator is required for every 15 CwSN.
Financial and Institutional Support
The Central Government provides financial assistance to States/UTs via Samagra Shiksha and PM SHRI to maintain PTRs and support inclusive education.
Each Block Resource Centre (BRC) is provided with two dedicated Resource Persons for CwSN.
Teacher Training and Capacity Building
NCERT has launched NISHTHA online training modules to help general teachers address the diverse learning needs of CwSN.
The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has integrated two dedicated credits on Inclusive Education into the Four-Year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP).
CBSE and NCERT have developed practical handbooks to provide guidance on inclusive classroom management.
Impact Analysis
State and UT AdministrationsImpact: They hold the primary responsibility for teacher recruitment and the operational deployment of educators to meet notified PTR standards.
Action Required: Must utilize central financial assistance to recruit special educators and ensure they are deployed effectively at block or cluster levels.
General TeachersImpact: They are increasingly expected to manage inclusive classrooms and address diverse learning disabilities alongside specialized staff.
Action Required: Need to engage with NISHTHA training modules and utilize CBSE/NCERT handbooks for practical classroom guidance.
Prospective Teachers/StudentsImpact: The curriculum for teacher education is evolving to include mandatory training in inclusive education.
Action Required: Students enrolled in the Four-Year ITEP must complete the two dedicated credits on Inclusive Education for CwSN.
Children with Special Needs (CwSN)Impact: Targeted improvements in PTR and teacher sensitization aim to provide more equitable and meaningful participation in regular schools.
Action Required: No direct action required, but they are the primary beneficiaries of the itinerant educator model and specialized resource persons.
Key Entities Referenced
Samagra Shiksha: A Centrally Sponsored Scheme that provides the framework for recruitment, deployment, and financial assistance for Special Educators to ensure inclusive education.
PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India): A scheme that provides financial assistance to States and UTs for strengthening school education and supporting inclusive education provisions for Children with Special Needs.
Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI): A statutory body responsible for regulating and monitoring the training of rehabilitation professionals and approving institutions that offer special education courses.
National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA): A national initiative providing online training modules for teachers to equip them with the skills to address the diverse learning needs of students in inclusive classrooms.
UDISE+: The unified digital database system used to track and report the enrolment of Children with Special Needs and the availability of dedicated Special Educators across schools.
Ministry of Education
Parliament Question: Availability of Special
Educators in Schools
प्रव तथ: 12 AUG 2026 4:50PM by PIB Delhi
Education is a subject under the Concurrent List of the Constitution and the majority of schools are under
the administrative control of the respective state governments and Union Territory (UT) administrations.
The Department of School Education & Literacy is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of
Samagra Shiksha to support States and UTs in providing equitable and inclusive quality education from
pre-primary to Class XII.
Under the Samagra Shiksha framework, recruitment and other service matters relating to teachers,
including Special Educators, fall within the domain of the respective State Governments/UT
Administrations. The framework also provides for Special Educators to be deployed at the block or cluster
level, as per requirement, and to work in an itinerant mode, covering a group of schools where Children
with Special Needs (CwSN) are enrolled, so that their educational needs are adequately addressed.
Under Samagra Shiksha and PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India), financial assistance is provided to
States and UTs for strengthening school education, including maintaining appropriate Pupil-Teacher
Ratios (PTRs) and supporting inclusive education. This includes provision for two Resource Persons for
CwSN at each Block Resource Centre (BRC).
The Department has notified the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) for Special Educators in general schools for
CwSN vide Notification No. S.O. 4586(E) dated 21.09.2022, published on 29.09.2022, as follows:
(i) One Special Educator for every 10 CwSN at the primary level; and
(ii) One Special Educator for every 15 CwSN at the upper-primary level.
As per UDISE+ 2025–26, 1.17 lakh schools have a dedicated Special Educator. A statement indicating
the State/UT-wise details of enrolment of CwSN and the number of schools having a dedicated Special
Educator, as per UDISE+ 2025–26, is placed at Annexure.
The Department also supports capacity building of teachers and special educators through continuous
professional development, in-service training, and awareness and sensitization programmes on inclusive
education. National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed online teacher
training modules under National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement
(NISHTHA) for the Elementary, Secondary and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) stages,
equipping general teachers to address the diverse learning needs of CwSN. NCERT and Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE) have also developed handbooks on Inclusive Education to provide practical
guidance to teachers for addressing the diverse needs of children in inclusive classrooms.
Further, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has integrated two dedicated credits on
Inclusive Education for CwSN in the Four-Year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) for
pre-service teacher education. This is aimed at equipping prospective teachers with the knowledge andskills required to ensure inclusion and meaningful participation of CwSN in regular schools and to adapt
teaching-learning processes to address diverse learning needs, including those associated with learning
disabilities.
The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for
regulating and monitoring the training of rehabilitation professionals and personnel, is mandated to
develop human resources in 16 categories of rehabilitation professionals/personnel. RCI has granted
approval to 1,081 institutions/universities to offer courses in disability rehabilitation and special
education, thereby contributing to the availability of qualified human resources, including Special
Educators.
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Annexure
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) OF THE UNSTARRED
QUESTION NO. 2770 ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026 ASKED BY SHRI RAJINDER GUPTA,
HON’BLE MP REGARDING ‘AVAILABILITY OF SPECIAL EDUCATORS IN SCHOOLS’.
State/UT-wise details of enrolment of CwSN and the number of schools having a dedicated Special
Educator
Total CwSN Enrolment for all NumbeR of Schools having
management Dedicated Special Educator
State/UT
India 2211226 116695
Andaman & Nicobar 872 21
Islands
Andhra Pradesh 92055 7094
Arunachal Pradesh 3174 202
Assam 57367 2038
Bihar 179917 10931
Chandigarh 3594 89
Chhattisgarh 81776 2527
DNH&DD 1435 8
Delhi 40829 4160Goa 4719 133
Gujarat 60010 2161
Haryana 22241 1455
Himachal Pradesh 6369 813
Jammu & Kashmir 20916 1772
Jharkhand 50440 2092
Karnataka 83204 10874
Kerala 116354 3385
Ladakh 638 24
Lakshadweep 211 9
Madhya Pradesh 158599 9360
Maharashtra 253792 5058
Manipur 4358 440
Meghalaya 4140 144
Mizoram 3999 58
Nagaland 1852 110
Odisha 94031 7040
Puducherry 1159 93
Punjab 51664 2206
Rajasthan 73241 8166
Sikkim 1009 63
Tamil Nadu 129452 3833Telangana 74743 2826
Tripura 3276 329
Uttar Pradesh 372739 23489
Uttarakhand 5797 1586
West Bengal 151254 2106
As per UDISE+2025-26
This information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, in a
written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
*****
RRTN
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इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: Urdu , ही