Special BSTC 2026 · Divyang / Special Education
The Special BSTC 2026 is the D.Ed. (Special Education) diploma for teaching children with disabilities. Admission is merit-based through NBER (RCI), with no entrance exam, a ₹500 or ₹350 registration fee and a timeline that was changed by four addenda. This page explains what it is, who can apply, the dates that changed and how it differs from the Rajasthan BSTC (Pre D.El.Ed).
स्पेशल बीएसटीसी (डी.एड. स्पेशल एजुकेशन) में प्रवेश NBER/RCI के माध्यम से मेरिट पर होता है, कोई प्रवेश परीक्षा नहीं है। इसकी तारीखें कई बार बदली हैं, इसलिए सिर्फ आधिकारिक सर्कुलर और एडेंडम देखें।
- No entrance exam
- 10+2 with 50%
- Fee ₹500 / ₹350
- Run by NBER (RCI)
Special BSTC 2026 at a glance
| Official course name | D.Ed. (Special Education), RCI approved |
|---|---|
| Admission body | National Board of Examination in Rehabilitation (NBER), adjunct body of RCI |
| Basis of admission | Merit only; no entrance examination (NBER circular, 22 July 2026) |
| Eligibility | 10+2 or equivalent with 50% marks, any stream |
| Registration fee | ₹500 (General/UR); ₹350 (OBC, EWS, SC, ST, PwD) |
| Choices | Maximum two courses; any state and institute |
| Course length | Two years, according to Dainik Bhaskar |
| Website | nber-rehabcouncil.gov.in |
Quick answer
Special BSTC 2026 means admission to the special-education diploma through NBER, not through the VMOU Pre D.El.Ed exam. If you were looking for the Rajasthan entrance exam, read our BSTC complete guide.
What is Special BSTC?
The word “BSTC” in “Special BSTC” is a habit. In Rajasthan, people call any primary-teacher diploma a BSTC, so the special-education version became “Special BSTC”. Officially, the course is the Diploma in Special Education, written D.Ed.Spl.Ed., and it is regulated by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), not by the state education department.
RCI, not NCTE, approves the training institutes (TTIs). A Dainik Bhaskar report from Karauli in August 2026 describes it as a two-year diploma similar in structure to the normal BSTC, with the focus on skills to teach children with disabilities. The same NBER circular also covers disability-rehabilitation courses such as D.H.L.S., D.P.O. and D.V.R. (ID), which have their own rules (10+2 with PCM or PCB and 50%).
स्पेशल बीएसटीसी का सही नाम डी.एड. (स्पेशल एजुकेशन) है और इसे भारतीय पुनर्वास परिषद (RCI) मान्यता देती है।
Special BSTC vs normal BSTC (Pre D.El.Ed)
| Point | Special BSTC (D.Ed.Spl.Ed.) | BSTC / Pre D.El.Ed |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | NBER, an adjunct body of RCI | VMOU Kota, as nodal agency named by the Rajasthan government (2026) |
| Regulator | Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) | NCTE and Rajasthan government |
| Admission | Merit only, no exam | Entrance exam, 200 MCQs, 600 marks |
| Who you teach | Children with disabilities | Children in regular primary classes |
| Eligibility | 10+2 with 50% in any stream | 10+2 with 50% (45% for listed categories), age up to 28 on exam date |
| Fee for the form | ₹500 / ₹350 | ₹450 for one course, ₹500 for both |
| Area | Any state, any institute | Rajasthan institutes, state seats |
| Registration after course | RCI CRR registration needed to practise | REET and state recruitment rules apply |
The two courses lead to different careers. For the normal route, see BSTC ke baad kya kare and BSTC kya hai.
Special BSTC eligibility and fee
- Passed 10+2 or an equivalent examination with at least 50 per cent marks in any stream (NBER circular).
- Students appearing in 10+2 may also apply, but the application is rejected if they do not meet the rule later.
- Marks relaxation for reserved categories follows the policy of the concerned Central, UT or State government. The institute needs evidence documents.
- Parents and siblings of persons with disabilities get preference points: 5 marks for a disability of at least 50 per cent, up to 10 marks for 100 per cent (first blood relation only).
- Registration fee ₹500 for General/UR and ₹350 for OBC, EWS, SC, ST and PwD.
The circular does not set an age limit for the D.Ed. (Special Education) course in the text we read. The course syllabus on the RCI website decides further conditions, so check it before applying.
How to apply for Special BSTC 2026
- Open the NBER portalUse only nber-rehabcouncil.gov.in (the circular names it). Do not use a link sent in a message.
- Register and payComplete online registration and pay ₹500 or ₹350. Choice filling is part of the same registration.
- Choose courses and institutesYou can pick only two courses. Choice 1 gets the first priority. A course chosen in choice 1 will not appear in choice 2. You can pick any state and any institute.
- Use the single edit windowIn the schedule after the 24 August addendum, details could be modified once, from 29 to 31 August.
- Watch the merit listInstitutes see candidates in merit order, 1:2 of the sanctioned intake in the first round and 1:3 for vacant seats in the second round (NBER SOP).
- Report with originalsCarry the acknowledgement of online admission, original Class 10 and 12 marksheets, the passing certificate and the category certificate if it applies. If you do not report in time, the seat is cancelled.
Admissions are provisional until the NBER-RCI enrolment number is issued. Once the institute confirms the admitted list on the portal, no changes are allowed (NBER SOP).
Special BSTC 2026 dates and merit list
The dates below come from the circular and its addenda that we read. They changed five times, so always match your date with the latest NBER notice.
| Notice | What it set | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 22 July 2026 | Circular published: registration 5 to 24 August, first merit list 26 August, classes 18 September | Original schedule (NBER) |
| 24 August 2026 | Registration extended to 1 September; first merit list 3 September; reporting 7 to 11 September; second list 14 September; reporting 16 to 21 September; final list 24 September; classes 28 September. Detail edits allowed 29 to 31 August, once | NBER addendum |
| 22 September 2026 | Left-out candidates: list of vacant seats 23 September, reporting 23 to 25 September, final list 26 September, classes 28 September | NBER addendum |
| 30 September 2026 | Change of choices 1 to 2 October; merit list 3 October; reporting 4 to 6 October; open round 7 October; classes 16 October | NBER addendum |
| 7 October 2026 | Cancellations 8 to 9 October; choices 10 to 11 October; merit list 12 October; reporting 13 to 14 October; open round 15 to 17 October; final merit list 19 October; classes 21 October. Described as the last and final extension | NBER addendum |
| 17 October 2026 (reported) | A news summary mentions fresh registration and choice change 19 to 28 October, merit list 29 October, reporting 30 October to 3 November, open round 4 to 5 November, final list 6 November, classes 7 November. We could not open the notice itself, so treat these dates as unconfirmed | Circular Express (news, unverified) |
Merit list date
Because of the addenda, the “first merit list on 26 August” that many websites still show is the original July date and was replaced. Use the portal for your own list. The merit list is made institute by institute (TTI wise).
Documents you need
- Acknowledgement of online admission 2026
- Original Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and passing certificate
- Category certificate if you are in a reserved category or PwD
- Evidence of disability and relationship if you claim the preference for parents or siblings of persons with disabilities
The first three items are named in the NBER SOP. For the preference claim, the circular gives the marks but the SOP we read does not list the exact papers, so ask the institute what it will accept.
Career and RCI registration after Special BSTC
A special educator works in special schools, inclusive classrooms and resource rooms. The Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 requires professionals to be listed in the Central Rehabilitation Register (CRR), and Section 13 prohibits unregistered persons from practising. RCI’s norms say the registration is valid for seven years.
Pay depends on the employer and the post. We did not find an official pay scale for special educators in Rajasthan that we could verify, so we do not quote one. For the normal BSTC pay, see BSTC ke baad kya kare.
Divyang candidates in the normal BSTC
For the normal Rajasthan route, a disability certificate of 40 per cent or more is needed for the reserved seats, and a few conditions that block classroom teaching make a candidate ineligible. The full list is in BSTC eligibility 2026.
Why websites show different Special BSTC dates
Sites that copy the 22 July table still show 26 August for the first merit list, but the 24 August addendum moved it to 3 September. Some blogs give dates that match no addendum we could read. The 17 October revision is reported only in a news summary. As of 4 November 2026, we treat the 7 October addendum as the last confirmed official schedule.
Special BSTC FAQs
What is Special BSTC?
“Special BSTC” is the common name for the two-year D.Ed. (Special Education) diploma, approved by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). It trains teachers for children with disabilities. It is not the Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed entrance exam that VMOU Kota runs. Admission for 2026-27 is run online by the National Board of Examination in Rehabilitation (NBER), an adjunct body of RCI (nber-rehabcouncil.gov.in).
Is there an entrance exam for Special BSTC 2026?
No. The NBER circular of 22 July 2026 says all admissions to RCI-approved certificate and diploma courses for 2026-27 are on merit only and that no entrance examination will be conducted.
What is the eligibility for Special BSTC 2026?
For D.Ed. (Special Education): 10+2 or equivalent with at least 50 per cent marks in any stream. Candidates who are appearing in 10+2 can also apply if they meet the rule later. Relaxation for reserved categories follows the policy of the concerned government and needs documents (NBER circular, 22 July 2026).
What is the Special BSTC form fee?
The registration fee is ₹500 for General (UR) and ₹350 for OBC, EWS, SC, ST and PwD candidates (NBER circular, 22 July 2026). This is only the registration fee. The course fee of each institute is a separate matter and is published on the NBER website.
When is the Special BSTC merit list 2026?
There is no single date. The original schedule (22 July) was changed by addenda dated 24 August, 22 September, 30 September and 7 October 2026. The 7 October addendum, called the last and final extension for left-out candidates, gave a final merit list on 19 October and classes from 21 October. A later report mentions another window, which we could not confirm. See the timeline table above.
Is Special BSTC the same as BSTC or Pre D.El.Ed?
No. BSTC (Pre D.El.Ed) is a Rajasthan state entrance exam for the general D.El.Ed. Special BSTC is a national, merit-based admission for a special-education diploma under RCI. They have different rules, forms, fees and regulators.
Is RCI registration needed after Special BSTC?
To practise as a rehabilitation professional, including a special educator, you must be registered in the Central Rehabilitation Register (CRR). Section 13 of the Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 bars unregistered persons from practising (RCI, India Code).
Last verified: 3 November 2026
Edited by Anil Kumar. Every date, number and name on this page was read in the official notice or in a news report named under “Sources” below, and key facts were matched with a second source. Where we could not confirm something we say so instead of guessing. ParinamSetu is an independent site, not a government website: see our Editorial Policy and Disclaimer.
Sources and how we checked
We name our sources so you can check them yourself. Links go only to official websites; news reports are listed by publisher, headline and date.
- NBER (RCI) Circular on online admission 2026-27, dated 22 July 2026, with the Standard Operating Process for institutes and candidates.
- NBER addenda dated 24 August, 22 September, 30 September and 7 October 2026 (revised timelines).
- NBER online admission guidelines for candidates (two-course choice, any state, institute selection).
- Dainik Bhaskar, Karauli, August 2026: description of Special BSTC as a two-year diploma.
- Circular Express: report on the 17 October addendum (not confirmed against the notice).
- Rehabilitation Council of India: norms and guidelines on the Central Rehabilitation Register; India Code text of the RCI Act, 1992.
- VMOU Pre D.El.Ed 2026 general directions (Divyang rules, age, fee).
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