Lok Sabha Question No. 1258 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-28
Subject: Education to Children with Disabilities
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Vijay Kumar Hansdak, Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1258

ANSWERED ON 28.07.2025

## Education to Children with Disabilities

## 1258. Shri Vijay Kumar Hansdak:

Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to provide education to all children with disabilities, economically weaker and SC/ST by ensuring equal opportunities to learn and succeed at various levels of education;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  action  taken  by  the  Government  for  creating  inclusive  environments,  removing barriers  and  ensuring  physical  accessibility,  digital  accessibility  and  curriculum adjustments for diverse learners;
- (d) whether the Government has formulated any policy for the admission of differentlyabled children and special children into a regular school;
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  any  scheme  to  educate  differently-abled  children  and special children in special schools; and
- (f) whether the Government has made any assessment of the steps taken so far in relation to the education provided to such students and if so, the details thereon?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) & (b): The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provides for equal learning opportunities for all children including Socio- Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) which includes children with disabilities, economically weaker sections and SC/ST groups. Further, the Policy is  in  complete  consonance  with  the  provisions  of  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016 covering all Children with Special Needs (CwSN) as identified under the Act.    To  ensure  universal  access  to  schooling  for  all  from  pre-primary  to  Class  XII,  the Government is implementing the Samagra Shiksha Scheme which is in alignment with the recommendations of NEP 2020, and ensures that all children have access to quality education within an equitable and inclusive classroom environment.

Under the Samagra Shiksha, there is a dedicated Inclusive Education component for CwSN  for  promoting  quality  education,  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalaya  (KGBVs) residential schools from class VI to XII, for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as

SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL) set up in Educationally Backward Blocks, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas which provides residential facilities for both girls and boys belonging to SEDGs.  Further, under Samagra Shiksha the educational needs  of  children  from  the  Particularly  Vulnerable  Tribal  Groups  (PVTGs)  are  addressed through the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) Schemes.

Under the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009, provision for free textbooks and  uniforms are provided to children  from SEDGs.  Further, Section  12  of  RTE  Act,  2009  provides  for  25%  seats  to  be  provided  to  EWS  category  of students in private-unaided schools.

Further, the Government also provides merit scholarship under the National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme @ Rs. 12,000/- per annum, from Classes IX to XII to children whose family income is below Rs. 3.5 lacs per annum to enable children from SEDG complete their schooling upto secondary level.

(c): The Government of India, through the centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha Scheme, has taken several significant measures to create inclusive environments in schools by removing physical and digital barriers, ensuring accessibility, and enabling curriculum adjustments for diverse learners, including Children with Special Needs (CwSN).

To  promote  physical  accessibility , schools  are  being  equipped  with  barrier-free infrastructure such as ramps, ramps with handrails, accessible toilets for CwSN, and provision of  transport  or  escort  facilities  to  support  mobility  and  school  access.  In  a  major  policy initiative,  the  Accessibility  Code  for  Educational  Institutions  has  been  notified,  which prescribes national standards for accessible school infrastructure, including pathways, science labs, classrooms, and ICT resources.  On the digital accessibility front, inclusive content is being  developed  in  line  with  the  Universal  Design  of  Learning  (UDL)  principles.  The NCERT's DIKSHA platform hosts a wide range of accessible e-content such as audio-visual materials in Indian Sign Language, region-specific resources in local languages, and subjectwise materials to support diverse learning needs. For students unable to attend regular schools, the  National  Institute  of  Open  Schooling  (NIOS)  offers  flexible,  distance-based  learning options.

Further, to support curriculum adjustments , Samagra Shiksha provides Braille books, large print materials , and assistive devices for students with visual and hearing impairments. Special educators deployed at school and block levels prepare Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) tailored to each child's specific learning needs. Examination accommodations such as extended time, use of scribes, choice of subjects, and reader assistance are also made available.

In  line  with  the  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020 , the  National  Curriculum Framework  for  School  Education  (NCF-2023)  emphasizes  multilingualism  and  the  use  of home language/mother tongue as the medium of instruction at the foundational stage, thereby supporting inclusive pedagogy and better comprehension for learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

(d) and (e): NEP 2020 recommends enabling differently-abled children to fully participate in the regular schooling process from the Foundational Stage to higher education. To achieve this, under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, various accessible and inclusive infrastructure facilities are being developed in schools to empower and support differently-abled children in effectively participating  in  the  learning  process.  These  efforts  are  aimed  at  empowering  and  enabling differently-abled  children  to  access  quality  education  alongside  their  peers  and  participate effectively in all aspects of school life.

(f):  PARAKH  Rashtriya  Sarvekshan  2024,  conducted  in  December  2024  by  the  National Assessment Centre, PARAKH under NCERT, under the Ministry of Education, serves as a comprehensive assessment of student learning levels across the country. The survey evaluated baseline competencies in students of Grades 3, 6, and 9 in line with the National Education Policy 2020. Over 21.15 lakh students and 2.70 lakh teachers from more than 74,000 schools across 781 districts participated. In addition to learning outcomes, the survey collected contextual data through Teacher Questionnaires (TQ), School Questionnaires (SQ), and Pupil Questionnaires (PQ) to better understand the learning environment and challenges faced by students across the country. at

National, State, and District-level report cards of the same are available https://dashboard.parakh.ncert.gov.in/en

*****