Parliament Question: Counselling Centre in Government Schools

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3836 ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026 Counselling Centre in Government Schools

3836. Shri Mohibbullah:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the total number of Government and Government-aided schools having Child Guidance and Counselling Centres in the country, State/UT-wise;

(b) the number of sanctioned and filled posts of counsellors and special educators in schools and higher educational institutions;

(c) the number of schools, UG colleges and PG colleges certified as disabled-friendly, including availability of ramps, accessible toilets, lifts, Braille materials and assistive technologies;

(d) whether compliance audits under disability laws have been conducted by the Government, if so, the findings thereof; and

(e) the timeline and financial allocation for making all educational institutions barrier-free in the country? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a): Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, with majority of schools falling under the administrative control and supervision of the respective State Government/Union Territory (UT) administration. On its part, the Ministry of Education

(MoE), is guided by the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 which emphasises the need to create awareness about mental health issues, reduce academic stress, promote joyful learning and increase community engagement for optimal learning outcomes.To this end, the Ministry supports States and UTs, based on proposals received from State/UT under the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha, in strengthening existing Government schools through creation & augmentation of infrastructure facilities and by providing financial assistance for activities related to career guidance, mental health and socio- emotional well-being, self-defence etc. Further, this Ministry has advised and encouraged States/UTs to constitute dedicated committees at the district level to monitor and address the issues pertaining to mental health and overall well-being of students and to formulate their own guidelines for recruitments to facilitate engagement of trained counsellors in schools.

Moreover, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), an autonomous body under this Ministry, has mandated the appointment of Counsellor & Wellness Teacher in every Secondary and Senior Secondary school affiliated with it in its Affiliation bye laws.

This Ministry also encourages States/UTs to train and equip teachers to act as primary counsellors, serving as the first line of support before referring students to professional help.

As per UDISE+ 2024-25, around 4.48 lakh schools have appointed teachers as a first level counsellor.

(b): With Education being in the Concurrent List of the Constitution; the recruitment of school staff, including special educators and counsellors, along with their service conditions and deployment thereof, predominantly falls within the purview of the respective States/UTs.

As per UDISE+ 2024–25, 1,12,340 schools in the country have a dedicated special educator.

There are a total of 987 sanctioned posts for special educators in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs).

In KVs where sanctioned post for Special educator is not available or the post is vacant, special educators are engaged on contractual basis as per norms. Insofar as counsellors are concerned, directions have been issued to all KVs to appoint counsellors in all schools on contract basis for the time being. The number of sanctioned posts for Special Educator in NVS is 495. In Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, there is a provision for engagement of two counsellors (one male and one female) in each Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) on contractual basis and total 830 counsellors have been engaged on contractual basis in JNVs across the country.

To ensure equitable access to quality mental health services to all the students enrolled in Higher Education Institutes, the UGC has formulated "Guidelines for Promotion of Physical Fitness, Sports, Students' Health, Welfare, Psychological and Emotional Well Being at Higher Educational Institutions of India". These UGC Guidelines provide for the Students Services Centre (SSC) with atleast some dedicated, professionally trained counsellors working under its Director or In-Charge. The counsellors can also be taken from the respective institutions' Psychology and Physical Education Departments in a project-driven mode.

(c) to (e): As per UDISE+ 2024-25, out of 14.71 lakh schools, 11.64 lakh schools have ramps, 8.08 lakh schools have ramps with handrails, 5.23 lakh schools have child with special need (CwSN) – friendly toilets. Further, under Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) for Samagra Shiksha scheme, approval is provided for Braille materials, including large print textbooks for children with Visual Impairment (VI) and Low Vision, as well as assistive devices, based on the proposals submitted by the State/UT.The Accessibility Code for Educational Institutions to conduct the accessibility audit in educational institutions was notified by Department of School Education & Literacy on 12th January, 2024 and it was notified under the RPwD Rules on 20th June, 2024. This Code examines the physical barriers and information & communication barriers of access to school facilities for children with disabilities. An advisory was issued on 19th January 2024 to the States/UTs for compliance and undertake the accessibility audit as per the code notified.

Financial support for making educational institutions barrier-free is provided under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes Samagra Shiksha and PM SHRI Schools Scheme. States/UTs propose the required funds every year through the AWP&B based on the infrastructure gaps identified in schools. The proposals, including the development of CwSN-friendly infrastructure, are examined and approved by the Project Approval Board as per the guidelines of the scheme.

To promote inclusivity and accessibility within Higher Education Institutions, UGC has formulated the ‘Accessibility Guidelines and Standards for Higher Education Institutions and Universities’, and the same has been notified by the MoE, vide gazette notification dated

19.01.2024. All the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been advised to take necessary steps to ensure full compliance of these Guidelines, which contributes to inclusive education and support the goals of NEP, 2020 by emphasizing inclusive and technology-enabled education and ensuring equity and access for all, including divyang students.

UGC has also issued an advisory to all HEIs to ensure full compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, vide UGC letter/circular dated 16.07.2024 stating that it is a collective responsibility to ensure that the educational institutions are inclusive and accessible to all students, enabling them to achieve their full potential.

Further, the UGC directed all universities and colleges to earmark ₹1 lakh from their General Development Assistance (GDA) grant for creating a barrier-free environment for students with disabilities. *****