NEW DELHI: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday called for screening of all 25 crore-plus school children in the country to identify those with special needs at an early stage, noting that only 20% of them are currently being identified.
Inaugurating a three-day Inclusive Education Summit 2026 organised by the Education Ministry, Pradhan said, “At least 2.5% of the children in our country fall under the classification of Children with Special Needs (CwSN). This translates to 1 crore and 20 lakh children falling under this category. However, our records reveal only between 22 and 23 lakh CwSN. Hence, there is a need to carry out screening of all children across schools in the country for early identification of their needs.”
He emphasised that inclusive education is not the responsibility of schools or families alone but must be shared by society as a whole. He added that it is crucial to identify learning challenges such as Dyslexia and Dyscalculia early, as timely intervention can significantly shape the child’s future.
“The foundation of Viksit Bharat can be laid through education that is equitable, sensitive, and inclusive. The expansion of disability categories from six to twenty-one by the Government reflects this inclusive approach,” he said.
Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, highlighted the need for Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres to dedicate a specific day each week for CwSN.
“On that specific day, specialist doctors need to be available. Teachers could take these students on those specific days to these centres,” he said, adding that the Education Ministry will fund the transportation requirements.
He pointed out that children often face difficulties in visiting hospitals, and specialist doctors may not always be available, requiring multiple visits.
“Often it happens that some specialist or the other is not available and the child needs to visit the medical centre repeatedly,” Kumar said.
The Union Minister also visited an exhibition showcasing assistive products, solutions, and smart technologies at the summit.
He praised the innovative and world-class solutions developed by Indian start-ups to make education more inclusive and address the diverse needs of children with special needs.
According to an official release, the Summit aims to strengthen policies, practices, and innovations for inclusive education for Children with Special Needs in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.