Biography

Sonia Rani is a Lecturer at the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences (JIBS) and a Special Educator at O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana. She also serves as the Assistant Director at the Centre for Community Mental Health (CCMH) and is an active member of the Disability Support Committee (DSC) at the university.

She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Science from the PG and Research Department of Rehabilitation Science and Special Education, affiliated with Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. Sonia also completed a B.Sc in Psychology from Alagappa University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Guidance and Counselling from Annamalai University, and a Diploma in Nursing Assistant from Bharath Sevak Samaj, Tiruchirappalli.

During her academic journey, Sonia was awarded the Gold Medal, Best Outgoing Student Award, and the Leadership Award for Excellence for her outstanding academic and leadership contributions. As part of her Master’s program, she also studied at Howest University, Belgium, under the Indo-Belgium Scholarship. She interned at the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID) during her graduate studies.

Before joining JGU, Sonia worked as an Assistant Professor at Holy Cross College, where she taught across diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate programs. Her teaching responsibilities included subjects such as Intellectual Developmental Disabilities, Sign Language, Educational Assessment, Human Growth and Development, and Personality Development.

At JIBS, she is actively engaged in teaching both core and elective courses in Rehabilitation Science and Psychosocial Rehabilitation, contributing to academic excellence and student mentorship. Sonia also actively plans and implements various in-campus and out-campus events, fostering experiential learning, community engagement, and awareness around disability inclusion and mental health.

Sonia Rani’s research interests span inclusive education, mental health in academic settings, assistive technologies, and community-based rehabilitation. She is committed to developing innovative and evidence-based strategies to support individuals with disabilities, with a focus on improving accessibility, resilience, and educational equity.

Sonia is a certified Rehabilitation Professional and a registered member of the Rehabilitation Council of India. She is passionate about community engagement and regularly serves as a resource person for training programs, outreach initiatives, and academic collaborations. Through her role in the Disability Support Committee, she actively ensures that students with disabilities receive the necessary accommodation and support to thrive in higher education.