Special education and inclusion: A meta-analysis of the three pivotal national educational policies in India

Different countries adopt different systems by considering the tradition and culture and adopt different stages during their life cycle at school and college education level to make it effective. If education remains an elusive dream for many of our citizens, we will have failed in our duty to create a just and equitable society, where every individual has the chance to succeed and contribute to the nation's growth and prosperity. Special education is no longer separated from mainstream education. India has also adopted a rights-based approach to incorporating children with special needs in education. The government of India after independence published three national educational policies. This is a qualitative paper highlighting these three policies towards special education, inclusion, and various initiatives through these three national educational policies. The paper has resolved, that in 1968, the policy primarily laid the foundation for special education. However, in 1986, a more comprehensive discussion of various aspects of special education took place, including the concept of integration in some cases. But in 2020 educational policy there was a particular emphasis on explaining how children with special needs can be integrated into mainstream education.