Human resource is the most valuable resource of any Nation and to ensure the development of the nation it is important to provide good health services with quality education to all the citizen regardless of any bias to ensure the qualitative and the quantitative growth of the human resource. United Nations in its convention “World Conference on Special Education Access and Equality”1994, categorically mentioned the importance of education for all, especially for the future generation of the human civilization. A special emphasis is put on the students who are either belonging to the remote areas, economically backward, socially backward and are challenged physically or the specially needed children. At the same time adult education was also given equal importance. So, it can be said that globally an inclusive approach has been recommended and adopted by UNDP to achieve the goal of total literacy. It was targeted in Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to achieve universalization of primary education by 2030.

A new educational policy in India has adopted and widely known as National Educational Policy- 2020. It is needless to mention that a National Education Policy-2020 should aim to satisfy the maximum demand of the society and individual through education irrespective of any bias and at the same time ensure the rounded whole development of every individual as well as the society. In NEP-2020, it is mentioned that “the main aim must be for India to have an education system that ensure equitable access to the highest quality of education for all the learners regardless of social and economic backwardness...” [1]. 

National Education Policy-2020 has followed some principles which actually make the backbone of this policy. One of its important principles is quality and inclusion which clearly indicates the intention of the policy towards inclusive education. So it may be said that National Education Policy- 2020 from its beginning tried to put equal importance over the educational development of those who are deprived from equal access to education. So a similarity in between the Millennium Development Goals for achieving universalization of primary education and aim of National Education Policy- 2020 is clearly visible.

Inclusive Education and Indian Educational Policies

Inclusive education is a matter of concern since late 20th century. UNESCO in June 1994 organized the “World Conference on Special Education Access and Equality” in Salamaca, Spain where probably for the first time formal policy had been framed for inclusive education. Almost every Nation in their educational policy adopted the provision for implementing inclusive education. India was not an exception in this regard. In its different educational policies emphasis has been given on inclusive education. Education for all is a matter of concern for any conscious society since long back. School for disabled children was constructed as like schools for blinds, schools for deaf and dumb, school for mentally retarded children etc. in India before independence in form of special education. Indian Constitution in its different articles also provides equality to all citizens in all aspects. From time to time various other constitutional provisions had been made, amended to bring all the future generation of the nation within the realm of education and within the educational institution boundary.

National Education Policy 1968

A cross-sectional study of the different educational policies in India exhibits the increasing importance given by the educationalist and the policy makers while framing policy towards inclusive education, especially towards the education of the students with different physical disabilities. National Education Policy framed in 1968 put its special importance on inclusive education to ensure the education for all. In this policy under the heading of “Equalization of Educational Opportunity” recommendation has been made for developing level of education in remote areas and among backward social classes. Alone with this it was also mentioned that the educational facilities and amenities for the physically and mentally challenged children should be developed in the regular School to ensure the enrollment of the challenged children with the normal ones and hence aimed at developing an integrated approach of education.

National Educational Policy 1986

National Educational Policy 1986 made an elaborative discussion and detailed recommendations for encouraging and developing integrated education for disabled in India. In this policy a comprehensive blueprint had been made covering almost all the levels of education and also mentions the role of various agencies in this regard. Recommendations had been made for enhancing provisions for disabled in general educational system, vocational education as well as in technical education too. At the same time this policy also highlighted the role of various national and state level educational agencies for promoting, ensuring, developing and accelerating special education. It also recommended for a drastic change in the physical infrastructure in the educational institutions to remove any kind of physical barriers. Recommendations had also made to set up educational administration friendly to special education for different types and levels of challenged students. Provisions had also been made for scholarships of the students, training and orientation of the teacher etc. Another important feature of National Educational Policy 1986 in this regard was the recommendation for psychological support for the disabled which was probably for the first time planned in any National Educational Policy. So, it can be said that National Educational Policy 1986 came with a lot of hope to gap the bridge in the society specially in the educational opportunities among all the citizens of the nation.

Programme of Action, 1992

Programme of Action 1992, was an important milestone in the history of Indian education where strategic planning has been made to uplift the level of education in the nation. Accordingly various provisions and planning for the education of disabled had made with the aim of equal access to quality education to the children with different kinds of physical and mental disabilities. Programme of Action 1992, suggested that children who can be educated in normal school need not to send in special schools. It also mentions that after certain training in special school if the children can be enrolled in normal school, they should be shifted to keep him in touch with the main stream of the society. Through integrated education for disabled children, Programme of Action put forward an exhaustive planning for ensuring education for them.

The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995

First January 1996, brought a new dawn in the field of inclusive education when “The Persons with Disabilities [2] Act” 1995, received the assent of honorable President of India. Several committees at the grass root level with specific responsibilities were formed to ensure equality to the disables. It has its effect on the educational attainment as it planned to provide education in a favorable environment to the students with disabilities till the age of 18 years and at the same time setting up of special schools in sufficient numbers in different parts of the country. Apart provision had also made for higher education as well as for vocational education also.

National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, 2006

In every educational policy, act and curriculum framework of 21st Century in India, a special emphasis was put on inclusive education mainly on the education of the disabled persons. In 2006, National Policy for Persons with Disabilities was framed by the Ministry of Social justice, Government of India. This policy categorically highlighted that “education is the most effective vehicle of social and economic empowerment” [3]. According to census 2001, around 51% of disable persons in India are illiterate. So, this policy felt the need of including these persons in the mainstream of education in form of inclusive education. This policy emphasized on the provisions of integrated education as referred in Sarva Siksha Abhiyan for the education of the disabled children. Apart various other facilities like providing learning aids tools, mobility assistance, open schooling, alternative schooling, remedial teaching, vocational education and moreover community-based rehabilitation etc. were also highlighted following the recommendations and provisions of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to boost up the moral of the disabled children and their progress in education. Financial assistance, book-grant, other grants were also ensured at various levels of education for the students with disabilities. It was recommended to sensitize and trained the teachers for making a friendly educational environment for the students of this category. Recommendations of special provisions for reservation of seats admission at various level of education are also made to this policy.

Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage 2009-2010

Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage was another centrally sponsored scheme introduced in 2009- 2010, with the main aim that all the students with disabilities can peruse secondary education after completion of 8 years of elementary education. A lot of provisions had been made like the students with disabilities will be provided with aids, applications, devices, barrier free environment and infrastructure will be made for them in the school premises, learning material will be supplied to the students, training for school teachers etc. were planned to ensure the enrollment of the disable students in secondary education. This scheme had the target to cover the students of the age group in between 14 to 18 years, with one or more disabilities as mentioned in Persons with Disability Act, 1995. Special focus was given on the education of the girl’s students with any type of disabilities.

Right to Education Act- 2009

Right to Education Act- 2009, was another milestone in Indian education, where access to education to every child was made free and compulsory irrespective of any bias within the age group of 6 to 14 years. It ensures to provide education mainly elementary education for all, who are suffering from any kind of disability and ensued equal access and opportunities as described in the act for others, in appropriate environment which may be in normal school or in special schools. This act also made provision for involving guardian family and community in facilitating inclusive education. At the same time the need of special learning and support materials were also granted and provision had been made to provide those to the students with disabilities. In each and every part of this act like in admission procedure, school infrastructure, curricular framing, examination and evaluation process, responsibilities of the authorities, monitoring system, protecting the rights of the children etc. specific provision had been made to ensure the inclusive education, especially the education of the students with different kinds of physical disability Indian society with a compassionate manner.

The Rights of Persons with Physical Disabilities Act, 2016

Right to Persons with Physical Disabilities Act, 2016, is a landmark in protection of the right of persons with physical disabilities in India. Almost every sector of life of persons with disabilities had been aimed to protect by this act. It had the main aim of making a barrier free social environment for the persons with disabilities in the nation. While protecting the right of the disabled persons it aims to develop society where in communication, culture, economy, institution, society etc. no one will be discriminated on the basis of their incomplete physical structures and will enjoy equality in every sphere of their life. It is clearly mentioned in the Act that, “No person shall be deprived of his or her personal liberty only on the ground of disability” [4]. So, this act provides protection to the persons with disability from any kind of abuse in human behavior violence or from any form of exploitation. Chapter-3 of this act detailed out the provisions for education for the persons with disabilities. It is needless to say that inclusive education had been recommended for all the educational institution in the nation. In view of that a barrier free educational environment had been proposed and planned to ensure in admission process, in all the activities in institutional premises as well as in the society. Infrastructure according to the convenience of the disable students were planned to set up in the educational institutions. It was also mentioned in this act that transportation may be arranged for these students to overcome the troubles of their daily travelling or proper accommodation may be provided in the school premises to solve the problem of travelling which is supposed to be one of the main causes of their dropout from school. Appropriate aids were also recommended to provide the students with disabilities along with all other necessary materials which are granted to the normal students. Special aids for hearing impaired, visually impaired, orthopedically challenged etc. students, are also granted as mandatory according to the need of the differently able students.

Special provision for the students with benchmark disability had been made by providing reservation, scholarship and by providing other types of materials etc. “Special Education” has been suggested to incorporate in teachers training curriculum with specific importance to empower the teachers in playing a vital role in education of the students with special abilities. Common curriculum with suitable pedagogy has been suggested to adopt to help all the students equally. Vocational education with special emphasis has been recommended to make then economically self-dependent and in almost all the streams of vocational education the principle of inclusive education has been adopted. Equally in the adult education also this particular approach has been adopted. So as a whole it can be said that Protection of Right of Persons with Disability Act- 2016 is a comprehensive effort made by the government taking into consideration the previous provisions and policies with an aim to get the position of the persons with disabilities in the society and ensure equality to them by providing legal protection.

National Education Policy 2020

National Educational Policy-2020 in India is another comprehensive effort to uplift the educational status as a whole. Education has been identified as the most important tool for social upliftment. Therefore, to promote equality in education, provision has been made in National Education Policy-2020 irrespective of gender, social or economic status, disabilities or on any other ground. This policy is purely advocating for an inclusive education with a view to develop and inclusive Indian society. It is mentioned that “The educational system must aim to benefit all the Indian’s children so that no child loses any opportunity to learn an excel because of the circumstances of birth or background” [1]. A very clear picture has been represented in the report that large disparity is there in the enrollment of the children with disabilities at primary level and at secondary level. According to U-DISE report of 2016-17, the enrollment of students with disabilities at the primary level was 1.1 % in the nation, which dropped down to 0.25% at secondary level and dropout rate is higher among women students. National Educational Policy- 2020, very specifically recommended renewing the policies and provisions which were framed for the benefit of the persons with disabilities previously. It was planned to ensure a cumulative and continuous development for the persons with disabilities in education. Along with this, National Education Policy-2020, also strongly endorses the provisions and recommendations of Right of Persons with Disability Act 2016, not only for school education as well as for higher education too. At the same time National Education Policy-2020, had the ultimate aim to strengthen the sense of security by ensuring the overall development of this integrated part of our society. It must be said that, education is the most important tool to develop “Atma nirbharta” (self-dependency) in an individual and according to that National Education Policy- 2020 has a focus on that direction, for all the future generation of the nation without any kind of discrimination. A very important and vital planning of National Education Policy-2020 is the formation of Special Education Zones (SEZs) for promoting inclusive education which may play a role of game changer in the nation and increase the enrollment of the persons with disabilities both in school as well as in higher education level. It was planned to reduce the gap in the level of education among socially economically disadvantaged groups as well as in persons with disabilities too.

In these special educational zones, it was recommended that schemes and policies made for inclusive education are to be implemented to its maximum with an additional concerned and aim to bring through changes in educational scenario. Infrastructural development was another important point raised in National Education Policy-2020, for making physical barrier free education institutions and environment in the nation. It will not only be a great physical and mental support but at the same time it also supports to increase the enrollment of the students with physical disabilities which ultimately improve the attendance of the students from this particular section. The admission procedures of the students with disabilities are recommended to make simpler and easier with specific reservation to encourage the students and bring them more to the field of education. To avoid the hurdle of distance and day to day sufferings of travelling to the school, free boarding with all logistic support in the centrally sponsored schools like Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendriya Vidyalaya etc. are planned and recommended to provide the students with best quality of education. It was also planned and recommended for the recruitment of specially trained teachers to facilitate the learning of the students with disabilities in a better way and for this purpose special emphasis has been given on the reconstruction of teachers training program in the nation. Hiring of counselors in the educational institution for counseling of the students as well as the teachers and guardians and other stakeholders is suggested to bring a positive attitudinal change in the society towards the person and the students with disabilities. The curriculum of the school education was suggested for reconstruction in a direction to remove any kind of bias in the curriculum and to make such a curriculum which will not only satisfy the need of the normal students but also the need of the student with disabilities too.

Overall, value education has been incorporated in the curriculum of all the levels to uplift the morality of a future generation. Last but not the least, rigorous social sensitization program has also been suggested to change the attitude of the society and orient them with the notion of inclusion and make a better future where in the value-oriented society and humanity will be at the top of the mind of everyone and the entire society will be a better place to leave in for all. So, it can be said that, National Education Policy- 2020, along with all other sides of education, emphasized on inclusive education especially the education of the children with differently able with equal capability.

A cross-sectional study of the educational policies in India clearly shows that inclusive education is always there on the top of the mind of the educationalist, administrators and in the social demand too. Specially, emphasis was given on the development of education of the persons with disabilities who are facing many problems in their day-to-day life. But their abilities in every sense is equal to us or even more than us, with permanent physical disabilities like visual impairments, hearing impairments, deftness, orthopedically disabled, dumbness etc. So, in spite of not having a proper sense organ, these persons are even performing better than us. Probably due to this reason, these persons are differently able in their life as well as in our society. It becomes a social stigma to have a negative attitude towards the persons with disabilities. Here we need to change the perception of the society. Here education plays an important role to develop and empathetic attitude towards the persons with disabilities. Therefore, education has a dual role in promoting inclusive education on one hand, empowering the persons with disabilities with quality education and empowers them to prove their abilities, while on the other, through proper education the society should be aware and sensitize with the view to remove the social stigma by developing an empathetic attitude. To achieve this counseling is one of the effective processes for both the persons with disabilities and the stakeholders. A continuous effort is needed to remove the difficulties in the way of empowering the persons with disabilities. Top priority must be given while the policies framed for promoting education among the students with disabilities. The Constitution of India guarantees equal rights to each and every citizen of the nation. Article-14 and other articles related to the right of equality, provides constitutional right that has been enacted to make a sensitive nation with social resilience. At the concluding note, it should be mention that through disseminating education, by bringing more persons with disability to education and by empowering them an inclusive society can be achieved where equality and justice for all will be reflected from the classroom of the kindergarten school to the entire society.

1. National Educational Policy 2020. Ministry of Education, Government of India, 2020. www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf. Accessed August 2020.

2. The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Government of India, 1995. legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/A1996-1.pdf. Accessed June 2021.

3. National Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2006. Government of India, 2006. disabilityaffairs.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/National%20Policy.pdf. Accessed June 2021.

4. The Rights of Persons with Physical Disabilities Act 2016. Government of India, 2016. www.upfcindia.com/documents/rpwd_101017.pdf. Accessed June 2021.