Teachers in Uttar Pradesh will have to complete 10 sensitisation videos before they can begin screening students under Prashast 2.0, the state's implementation of the Centre's revamped school-level screening tool for children with special needs.
The videos take about 40 minutes in total and are available through the Prashast app and online portal. Teachers have to complete the modules and the prescribed onboarding process before participating in the screening exercise.
The programme is being implemented across government, government-aided and private unaided schools in Uttar Pradesh. Divisional Assistant Directors of Education and District Basic Education Officers have been directed to ensure that teachers complete the training. The directions follow instructions from Director General of School Education Monika Rani.
The training is linked to the identification of Children with Special Needs (CwSN). PRASHAST 2.0 is a standardised screening tool developed for school-level identification of disabilities. It covers all 21 disabilities recognised under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The screening process is divided into two parts. Part I is carried out by regular teachers, while Part II involves special educators. The tool is intended for screening and early identification and is not meant to be used for disability certification or labelling.
What is new in PRASHAST 2.0
The Centre's implementation plan places teacher sensitisation before school-level screening. A report from the Department of School Education and Literacy said the national rollout involves teacher sensitisation through DIKSHA from April to August 2026, followed by Part I screening by general teachers in September and Part II screening by special educators in October. Assessment camps are scheduled for October to December. The first round of screening in government schools is targeted for completion by September 30, 2026.
PRASHAST 2.0 is also linked with UDISE+ data, allowing schools to use existing student information as part of the screening process. The revamped system is available as a mobile application and is designed to support screening at scale.