Education and Leaving No One Behind: A Critical Analysis of Law and Policy for Children with Disabilities in India

Education and Leaving No One Behind: A Critical Analysis of Law and Policy for Children with Disabilities in India

*

Volume 16 Issue 3 ()

Inclusive education has been embedded into Goal 4 of sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (‘SDGs’), 2030, developed by the United Nations and agreed upon by all its member States, explicitly integrate persons with disabilities and their voices, unlike the erstwhile Millennium Development Goals. In this paper, we assess the compliance and compatibility of India’s legal and policy framework for education of children with disabilities with the goals enumerated under SDG 4 on education. In order to make such an assessment, the paper focuses on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the Right to Education Act, 2007, and the National Education Policy, 2020. Data sources, studies, and ongoing litigations in India reveal that the needs of children with disabilities continue to be inadequately met by the State. Therefore, the government’s present policy initiatives towards early childhood interventions, school-going age initiatives, and integration into higher education are mapped and analysed in this paper. Lastly, the paper provides certain suggestions that could facilitate holistic and inclusive education of children with disabilities and ensure our achievement of SDG 4 on education.

Cite as: Kriti Sharma & Soumya Vinayan, Education and Leaving No One Behind: A Critical Analysis of Law and Policy for Children with Disabilities in India, 16 NUJS L. Rev. 485 (2023)