Inclusive
Education – Acts, Policies and Programs in India
📜 1. Emergence of Inclusive Education in India from Historical
Perspective
🕰️ 1880s (British Era):
- 1883:
First school for the deaf set up in Bombay.
- 1887:
First school for the blind established in Amritsar.
🔍 These early institutions laid the foundation for special education in India, although they were isolated and separate from mainstream schooling.
🇮🇳 Post-Independence
(1947):
- Schools for the blind:
32
- Schools for the deaf:
30
- Schools for mentally retarded:
3
📊 After independence, the focus remained on setting up more special schools rather than integrating children with disabilities into regular classrooms.
⏳ Till 2000:
- Rapid growth in special schools
(~3000 by 2000).
- Government initiatives to train
teachers for disabled children began in 1960s.
- Lack of uniform syllabi and
qualified educators impacted training quality.
📉 Despite the growth, there was a lack of standardization and inadequate teacher preparation, which limited the effectiveness of special education.
🔄 1980s:
- Ministry of Welfare recognized
need for a central institution for HR development in disability sector.
- Realization that special schools
were:
- Urban-centric
- Cost-ineffective
- Culturally segregating (formed
separate disability culture)
⚖️ These insights led to the understanding that inclusive models were more beneficial than segregated ones in promoting equal opportunities.
🧾 Constitutional
Commitments:
- Article 45:
Free & compulsory education up to age 14.
- 86th Constitutional Amendment
(2002): Made education a fundamental
right for ages 6–14 (including CWSN).
🧠 The Constitution gradually evolved to include disability within its broader goal of universal education, recognizing education as a right.
🧩 Initial Integration
Efforts:
- 1974:
IEDC (Integrated Education of Disabled Children)
- 1987:
PIED (Project Integrated Education of the Disabled)
- 1995:
PDA (Persons with Disabilities Act)
- 1997:
Inclusive philosophy added in District Primary Education Programme (DPEP)
📈 These programs marked the first official attempts to shift from segregated schooling to inclusive education within general schools.
📚 2. Inclusive Education: Acts, Policies and Programmes in India
⚖️ 2.1 Constitution
of India
- Preamble:
Equality of status & opportunity
- Article 41:
Education and employment for all, especially for people with disabilities
- Article 45 & 86th Amendment
(2002): Free and compulsory education to
all children aged 6–14, explicitly inclusive of children with disabilities
🧾 The Indian Constitution has laid a strong foundation for inclusive education by ensuring equal rights and educational access for all, including CWSN.
🔄 2.2 Developments
from 1960 to 1994
- Creation of Ministry of Social
Welfare: Focused more on rehabilitation than education
- Grants to NGOs: Helped special
schools but hampered inclusion in mainstream
💬 While these developments showed concern for disability, they inadvertently strengthened segregated education systems rather than fostering inclusion.
📘 2.2.1 Kothari
Education Commission (1964–66)
- Recommended inclusion of disabled,
but not implemented by Government
📌 This was a progressive recommendation for its time, but it lacked political will and policy backing for execution.
👶 2.2.2 Integrated
Child Development Scheme (ICDS), 1974
- Provided education &
healthcare for under-5 children, excluded children with disabilities
🚫 This exclusion highlighted the systemic neglect of disabled children in early childhood care and education.
🧮 2.2.3 Integrated
Education for Disabled Children (IEDC), 1974
- Financial support for inclusive
materials, books, aids, transportation
- Implemented with UNICEF support,
but limited to 10 states
- Benefitted ~1 lakh CWSN
- Increased awareness among teachers
and parents
🧷 IEDC was one of the earliest efforts toward inclusive education, though its limited reach reduced its potential impact.
🏛️ 2.3 National
Policies & Programmes
📘 2.3.1 National Policy
on Education (NPE), 1986
- Stressed integration of CWSN with
general community
- Recommended pre-service teacher
training with compulsory special education component
📖 This policy emphasized mainstreaming CWSN but lacked clear implementation mechanisms.
📒 2.3.2 Programme of
Action (POA), 1992
- Focused on mildly disabled for
mainstreaming
- Vague on definition of “basic
living skills”
🔍 Though well-intended, the POA failed to address the needs of children with severe or multiple disabilities.
🎓 2.3.3 Rehabilitation
Council of India (RCI), 1992
- Standardized special educator
qualifications
- Mandatory licensing; unlicensed
teachers subject to fine or imprisonment
🛠️ RCI played a key role in professionalizing special education by introducing accountability and quality benchmarks.
⚖️ 2.3.4 Persons with Disabilities
Act (PDA), 1995
- Right to education up to age 18
- Narrow definition of disability (7
types)
- Promoted integration in normal
schools
- Mandated:
- Free transport, aids, books
- Architectural accessibility
- Modified curriculum/exams
- Required training for general and
special educators
🔧 This Act was a legal milestone, pushing schools to become more inclusive and accessible, though its scope remained limited by narrow disability criteria.
🏫 2.3.5 District
Primary Education Programme (DPEP), 1997–2002
- Focused on children with mild to
moderate disabilities
- Teacher training, resource rooms,
curriculum modifications
- 6 lakh CWSN enrolled by 2006
(Rajasthan, Orissa, WB)
📊 DPEP was a turning point that showed inclusion could succeed at scale with the right support mechanisms.
📘 2.3.6 Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA), 2000s
- Universalization of elementary
education (6–14 years)
- Not disability-specific, but
inclusive:
- Rs. 1200 per CWSN per year
- Cluster-level planning for CWSN
- No-rejection policy (no child
denied education)
📈 SSA marked a significant step toward inclusive education at the national level by mainstreaming support for CWSN.
📜 2.3.7 Right to
Education (RTE) Act, 2009
- Education made a legal right for
6–14 years
- Key Provisions:
- No fees
- Age-appropriate admission
- School creation or
transport/residence within 3 years
- 25% reservation in private
schools for underprivileged
- Inclusion of children with
disabilities, but with some anti-inclusive exceptions (e.g., placement
based on “perceived” levels for intellectual disability)
⚠️ While RTE is inclusive on paper, some of its provisions reinforce segregation for children with severe disabilities.
🧩 2.3.8 Action Plan for
Inclusion of Children and Youth with Disabilities (IECYD), 2005
- RCI & NCTE to train teachers
in inclusive education
- Shift from integration to true
inclusion
- Focus on inclusive infrastructure
and methods
- Home-based education for children
with severe intellectual disabilities
🛠️ This action plan emphasized preparing teachers and schools for real inclusion, not just physical integration.
🎒 2.3.9 Inclusive
Education of the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS), 2008
- Launched April 1, 2009
- Target group: 14–18 years old CWSN
in govt/public schools
- Rs. 3000 per child annually for
inclusive materials
📚 IEDSS addressed a critical gap by extending inclusive education support beyond elementary to secondary level.
🧑⚖️ 2.3.10 National
Policy for People with Disabilities, 2006
- Developed by Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment
- Similar to 2005 IECYD
- Special schools to function as
resource centers
- Focus on rural-urban equity
- 3% reservation in poverty
alleviation programs
🌍 This policy promoted a more inclusive and equitable approach, especially by recognizing the rural-urban divide.
⚖️ 2.3.11 The National Trust Act,
1999
- Focused on: Autism, Cerebral
Palsy, Mental Retardation, and Multiple Disabilities
- First legislation targeting
persons at highest risk
- Enabled financial and legal
protections
- Promoted independent living
🛡️ The Act offered a safety net for the most vulnerable and promoted dignity, autonomy, and support systems.
🔍 Summary and Analysis
- Trend:
Continuous shift from segregation → integration → inclusion
- Challenges:
- Poor implementation
- Inconsistent definitions of
disability
- Lack of inclusive infrastructure
- Vague criteria for
inclusion/exclusion
⚠️ Despite robust policy support, real inclusion remains hindered by systemic inefficiencies and lack of accountability. - Current Scenario:
- Laws and policies are inclusive
in nature
- Implementation gaps and
discriminatory practices remain
- Special focus needed on:
- Severe and intellectual
disabilities
- Rural accessibility
- Teacher training
🧭 India is moving in the right direction, but real progress demands local-level transformation and resource strengthening.
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