GSCERT : Training for Special Teachers

• NIEPID Disha Curriculum for Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Goa Khabar : Under the Sewa Pakhwada Abhiyaan of Government of India, GSCERT, Goa and National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), Secunderabad conducted the inauguration of the training for 240 Special Teachers from Special Schools and Inclusive schools of the State of Goa to implement the NIEPID DISHA Curriculum for Children with Intellectual Disabilities (previously known as Mental Retardation) from 17/09/2025 to 19/09/2025 and from 22/09/2025 to 24/09/2025. 

The inaugural ceremony of the training program was conducted simultaneously on 17/09/2025 in hybrid (online and offline) mode with NIEPID, GSCERT Goa and NIMHR, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.

Rajesh Aggarwal, Honourable Secretary, DEPwD, MSJ&E, Government of India addressed the inaugural session as the Chief Guest and appreciated the efforts made GSCERT, Goa and State Commissioner for PwDs, Goa for taking the initiatives for implementation of NIEPID DISHA curriculum in the state.

Archana Chandra, CEO, Jai Vakeel Foundation, Mumbai informed that the DISHA Curriculum is a standardised curriculum for Children with Intellectual Disabilities developed by Jai Vakeel Foundation and approved by NIEPID in 2019 and successfully implemented in 460 special schools in Maharashtra. Now the Jai Vakeel Foundation has signed an MoU with NIEPID for the countrywide implementation of the curriculum which contains digital platform for assessment, manuals for teachers and student’s workbooks.

The DISHA web-portal enables educators to conduct online assessments and monitor the progress of the learners, gives access ot real-time data at school, district, state level.

Dr. BV Ramkumar, Director, NIEPID, Secunderabad has informed that the worksheets and manuals of NIEPID DISHA curriculum will be distributed to Children with Intellectual Disabilities and their schools free of cost from the National Plan Fund during the upcoming International Purple Fest in Goa.

Guruprasad Pawaskar, the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Goa had agreed to implement NIEPID DISHA curriculum in the State of Goa on priority basis.

Meghana Shetgaonkar, Director, GSCERT, Goa extended her support for the training of special education teachers for the implementation of DISHA curriculum.

NIEPID, Secunderabad has signed an MoU with Jai Vakeel Foundation with the objective to expand the successful model of Project Disha in the whole country and coordinate with State Governments for the implementation of Project Disha to provide a standardised curriculum for Children with Intellectual Disabilities.

A total 240 Special teachers from 24 Special Schools, 7 Govt. Schools and 20 Govt. aided schools will complete the 3 days offline hands-on training program on NIEPID DISHA curriculum approved by Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi.

The curriculum is intended to benefit the Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Special and Inclusive schools of the State of Goa.