From Legal Compliance to Transformative Culture: The Implementation Gap in India’s Inclusive Education Policy Framework
Author : Dr. Mohammad Mustaqeem
Abstract :
India has established a comprehensive legislative framework for inclusive education through rights-based legislation like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD) 2016 and supportive provisions within the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. However, significant disparities persist between policy mandates and classroom realities. This paper argues that inclusive education in India remains constrained by an "implementation gap" characterized by a compliance-oriented approach that focuses on legal and physical access, while failing to foster the pedagogical, attitudinal, and systemic transformations necessary for genuine inclusion. Through a qualitative analysis of policy documents, empirical research literature, and theoretical frameworks of inclusive pedagogy, this study identifies three critical barriers beyond legislation:
- The prevailing medical-deficit model of disability that pathologizes difference within schools;
- Inadequate teacher preparedness and systemic support for differentiated instruction and collaborative practice; and
- The socio-cultural and infrastructural constraints that render inclusion an administrative challenge rather than a pedagogical value.
The paper concludes that moving beyond legislation requires a paradigm shift from integration to transformation—reconceptualizing inclusion not as a special educational need to be managed, but as a core principle of curriculum design, teacher professional identity, and school culture that benefits all learners.
Keywords :
Inclusive Education, Implementation Gap, RPWD Act 2016, NEP 2020, Teacher Preparedness, Medical Model, Social Model, India.
