Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Government of India, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, addressed the valedictory session of the Inclusive Education Summit 2026 in New Delhi today.
The three-day Inclusive Education Summit, organised by the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, concluded today with in-depth deliberations on “Specific Learning Disabilities, Neurodiversity, and Future Avenues for Children with Special Needs (CwSN)”.
The final day underscored the importance of early identification, inclusive ecosystems, and evidence-based interventions to ensure equitable learning opportunities for neurodiverse children. The day commenced with a context-setting address by Prof. Bharti Kaushik, Professor, CIET–NCERT, who emphasised a shift from deficit-based approaches to strength-based frameworks, and highlighted the need for responsive curricula, teacher preparedness, and systemic sensitivity to diverse learning needs.
Quoting sociologist Tom Shakespeare, Shri Jayant Chaudhary stated that “Disability is not an individual problem, but a mismatch between people and the environments in which they live.” The Minister emphasised that inclusion is not about fixing the child, but about transforming systems, including classrooms, curricula, attitudes, and learning pathways.
The Minister further stressed that early identification must be followed by meaningful academic and therapeutic support, availability of trained teachers, flexible curricula, and institutional readiness. Highlighting the central role of teachers, he emphasised the importance of strengthening inclusive pedagogy.
He added that inclusive education must extend beyond schooling to form the foundation of inclusive skilling and employment, ensuring that education pathways connect meaningfully to livelihoods, dignity of work, and full participation in society.
The event was attended by Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL); Ms. V. Vidyavati, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD); Smt. A. Srija, Economic Advisor, DoSEL; Ms. Ira Singhal, Deputy Secretary, DoSEL; and Mr. Ram Singh, Joint Director, DoSEL, along with senior officials from DoSEL, Ministry of Education, and representatives from national institutions, States/UTs, and partner organisations.