The CHINI Trust hosted its second annual lecture, Teacher Sensitivity Matters, focusing on creating responsive and inclusive classrooms for all students. Conducted online to ensure accessibility, the session brought together more than 150 educators, parents and professionals from across India and internationally. The lecture was held in collaboration with NIMHANS, Bangalore, and delivered in a bilingual format (English and Bengali) to enable comfortable and meaningful participation for teachers from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

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The session was led by Dr. Harshini Manohar, Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Ms. Attrayee Ganguly, Clinical Psychologist and Doctoral Scholar at NIMHANS. Drawing from both research and clinical practice, the speakers explored how understanding neurodiversity can reshape classroom experiences. Dr. Manohar highlighted that education systems often expect uniform learning, while children differ significantly in how they process information, communicate and engage. She emphasized that teachers are among the earliest adults outside the family to influence a child’s self-identity and sense of capability, and that inclusion requires shifting from correcting behaviour to understanding it. Rather than requiring extraordinary resources, sensitivity begins with observing children from their own perspective and adjusting the learning environment so they can participate without fear.

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Building on this foundation, Ms. Ganguly connected developmental understanding with everyday classroom realities. She explained neurodivergence in accessible terms and addressed common misconceptions around disobedience, laziness or lack of discipline. Her discussion highlighted how behaviour often signals unmet needs and how classroom language and interactions directly affect emotional safety and engagement. She encouraged teachers to build connection before instruction, create predictable routines, and align expectations with individual strengths so that students feel secure enough to learn.

The lecture also served as a platform to share key initiatives of the Trust. Suvojoy Sengupta, AECOM CEO -  India, announced the Parul Bala Sen Scholarship for Special Educators in collaboration with NIMHANS, aimed at strengthening training and capacity building in inclusive education. Sohini Pramanick, newly inducted board member of The CHINI Trust, introduced the Renu Dasgupta Memorial Prize and spoke about its vision and purpose. The 2025 award recipients shared their testimonials, after which the Trust formally announced the opening of nominations for the Renu Dasgupta Memorial Prize 2026.

Although scheduled for one hour, the session extended to over one and a half hours due to active discussion and audience engagement, with approximately 85% of participants staying until the end. Questions from teachers and parents reflected a strong interest in understanding students’ emotional needs, classroom behaviour and collaborative approaches between school and home.

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The lecture reaffirmed that inclusive education is not defined only by infrastructure or policy, but by empathy, awareness and responsive teaching practices. By focusing on teacher sensitivity, the session emphasized how classrooms can become spaces where every child feels seen, understood and able to learn. The CHINI Trust looks forward to continuing collaborative initiatives and educator support programmes to strengthen inclusive educational practices.