Chandigarh, 25 February 2025 — Chandigarh administrator and Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria handed over appointment letters to 40 special educators at an event held at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35. Officials noted that this marks the first regular recruitment of special educators in the Union Territory.
The new appointees include 22 trained graduate teachers (TGTs) and 18 junior basic training (JBT) cadre educators. These positions were created by the Government of India in 2019.
The ceremony was part of Samavesh Utsav, an initiative aligned with the Inclusive Education component of the National Education Policy (NEP). An exhibition of craftwork by children with special needs (CWSN) was displayed, and special athletes were felicitated for their achievements.
Kataria interacted with students, parents, and educators, acknowledging their role in fostering inclusive education. “It is essential to provide equal learning opportunities to every child,” he stated.
Currently, 3,087 CWSN students are enrolled across 111 government schools under the Chandigarh education department, while 157 children with severe disabilities receive home-based education from special educators.
Besides, 2,985 out-of-school children have been identified and placed in special training centres within government schools to integrate them into formal education.
As part of the Future Ready Chandigarh Vision 2030 and Beyond, the UT engineering department announced that the extension building at Government Model Senior Secondary School would be operational by the next academic session.
The four-storey structure, built at an estimated ₹6 crore, features 16 classrooms and specialized labs, allowing the school to introduce the science stream, which was previously unavailable due to the lack of laboratory facilities.
