Health & SocialImportant2026-01-22

Launch of PRASHAST 2.0 Disability Screening Tool

In News

What Happened

On January 22, 2026, the Ministry of Education unveiled PRASHAST 2.0 during the Inclusive Education Summit 2026 in New Delhi. The revamped Pre Assessment Holistic Screening Tool is a digital application designed to help teachers screen school children for 21 disability conditions. This updated version integrates directly with the UDISE+ database to enable systematic tracking of Children with Special Needs (CwSN).

Why It Matters

This launch is a significant step toward realizing the inclusive education goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the RPwD Act 2016. By linking school-level screening with the national UDISE+ platform, the government can prevent data silos, track student referrals seamlessly, and efficiently direct pedagogical resources and medical board interventions to students who need them.

Background

History & Context

The original PRASHAST tool was developed by CIET-NCERT around 2022 to address the lack of a uniform, scientifically backed screening checklist in Indian schools. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, expanded recognized disabilities from 7 to 21, creating an urgent need for regular teachers and special educators to identify non-visible disabilities early. PRASHAST 2.0 was developed to close the gap between initial screening and the actual delivery of support by leveraging national educational databases.

What Changed

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Data Ecosystem: BEFORE, PRASHAST functioned largely as a standalone app generating isolated school-level reports for Samagra Shiksha authorities. NOW, PRASHAST 2.0 integrates with the UDISE+ database, linking a student's screening data directly to their national educational profile.
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Student Tracking: BEFORE, there was a high risk of students falling through the cracks between school-level screening and formal medical certification. NOW, the tool includes systematic tracking, ensuring local authorities can monitor whether flagged students have received their mandatory medical board evaluations.
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Resource Allocation Analytics: BEFORE, data was primarily used to flag individual students. NOW, aggregated district-level data allows administrators to dynamically allocate special educators, barrier-free infrastructure, and specific pedagogical tools to schools with higher concentrations of CwSN.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

The principles of inclusion and addressing social marginalization are covered in NCERT Class 12 Sociology (chapter on 'Social Inequality and Exclusion') and Class 11 Political Science ('Indian Constitution at Work' regarding equality and fundamental rights). PRASHAST 2.0 serves as a practical administrative tool enforcing the state's constitutional obligation to provide equitable and accessible education to disabled children.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Consider the following statements regarding the PRASHAST 2.0 Disability Screening Tool: 1. It facilitates the screening of school children for the 21 disability conditions recognized under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. 2. It functions as a definitive diagnostic medical tool capable of automatically issuing legally valid disability certificates to students. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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