Inclusive Education Schemes for Disabled Students by Ministry of Education

In India, the right to education is not just a constitutional promise – it is a policy commitment backed by dedicated schemes that ensure no child is left out of the learning process, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has put in place a layered framework of programmes that support students with disabilities from the earliest years of schooling right through to higher education. Three of the most significant among these are Samagra Shiksha, the Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS), and the Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs (HEPSN) scheme. Together, they form a continuum of opportunity – one that this post unpacks in detail.

Samagra Shiksha: the foundation for equitable, inclusive schooling 🔗

Samagra Shiksha is India’s overarching integrated scheme for school education, covering the entire span from pre-school to Class XII. Launched in 2018 by merging the earlier Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education (TE) schemes, it treats school education as a seamless continuum rather than a set of disconnected stages. The scheme is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4) and has been updated to incorporate recommendations from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The 5+3+3+4 pedagogical structure 🔗

One of the most significant changes introduced through Samagra Shiksha in alignment with NEP 2020 is a new school structure that replaces the conventional 10+2 framework. The 5+3+3+4 model organises school years into four stages: a Foundational Stage (5 years) focused on play and activity-based learning, a Preparatory Stage (3 years) emphasising discovery-based learning, a Middle Stage (3 years) built around experiential learning across subjects, and a Secondary Stage (4 years) offering multidisciplinary study and student choice. For children with disabilities, this restructuring matters significantly – the longer, more flexible foundational phase allows early identification of learning differences and early intervention without the pressure of rigid grade-level benchmarks.

What Samagra Shiksha provides for children with special needs (CwSN) 🔗

Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs (CwSN) is one of the core components of Samagra Shiksha. The scheme covers all children with one or more disabilities as listed in the schedule of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, studying in government, government-aided, and local body schools. The support provided is comprehensive and student-centred:

• Financial support per child: The per-child allocation was increased from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 3,500 per annum for student-oriented components such as aids, appliances, Braille books, large print books, uniforms, and therapeutic services.
• Stipend for girls with disabilities: A monthly stipend of Rs. 200 for 10 months is now provided to girls with special needs from Classes I to XII – expanded from the earlier coverage of only Classes IX to XII – delivered via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• Home-based education: Children with severe or multiple disabilities who cannot attend school are covered under a home-based education provision extended up to Class XII. In 2018-19 alone, this covered nearly 44,000 children with an outlay of Rs. 9.22 crore.
• Special educators: Financial assistance for the salary and honorarium of special educators is provided separately, over and above the per-child component. In 2018-19, support was approved for 15,909 resource teachers and special educators.
• Barrier-free infrastructure: Schools are required to provide ramps, handrails, and accessible toilets so that students with disabilities can access classrooms, laboratories, and libraries without physical barriers.
• Teacher training: General school teachers are trained and sensitised to teach and support CwSN in mainstream classrooms. A dedicated module on inclusive education is part of the NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement) training programme delivered via the DIKSHA platform.

The scheme also emphasises convergence – working in coordination with multiple ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and NCPCR, to deliver holistic support for CwSN.

IEDSS: inclusive education at the secondary stage 🔗

While Samagra Shiksha provides the broad framework for inclusive education across all school levels, the Scheme of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) was designed to specifically address the needs of students with disabilities in Classes IX to XII. Launched in 2009-10, IEDSS replaced the earlier Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) scheme and is now subsumed within Samagra Shiksha as its secondary-level inclusive education component.

Who does IEDSS cover? 🔗

The scheme covers students in Classes IX to XII studying in government, local body, and government-aided schools who have one or more disabilities as defined under the Persons with Disabilities Act (1995) and the National Trust Act (1999). This includes conditions such as blindness, low vision, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mental retardation, mental illness, autism, and leprosy-cured individuals. Girls with disabilities receive particular attention, with dedicated efforts to support their access, enrolment, and retention at the secondary level.

What IEDSS provides 🔗

The scheme operates through two broad categories of components:

Student-oriented components include medical and educational assessment, books and stationery, uniforms, transport allowance, reader allowance, stipend for girls, boarding and lodging facilities, assistive devices, therapeutic services, and teaching-learning materials – all aimed at reducing the financial and logistical burden on families of students with disabilities.

Institutional components include the appointment of special education teachers, training for general teachers to work effectively with students with disabilities, orientation of school administrators, establishment of resource rooms, and the creation of barrier-free school environments. Every school under the scheme is expected to be made disabled-friendly, with architectural barriers removed so students can access classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and toilets independently.

One of the important goals of IEDSS is to set up model inclusive schools in every state that can demonstrate replicable good practices in inclusive secondary education. The School Education Department of each State or Union Territory acts as the implementing agency, and 100% central assistance is provided for all items covered under the scheme.

HEPSN: enabling access to higher education 🔗

Even when students with disabilities successfully complete secondary school, the transition to higher education can present an entirely new set of challenges – from inaccessible campuses to a lack of academic support. The Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs (HEPSN) scheme, implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC), directly addresses these gaps. First introduced during the Ninth Five-Year Plan and subsequently extended, HEPSN is designed to enrich higher education learning experiences for differently-abled persons across colleges and universities in India.

To be eligible for HEPSN assistance, an institution must have enrolled students with disabilities, be approved by the UGC under Sections 2(f) and 12B, and have constituted an expert committee – including faculty, external experts, and differently-abled persons – that meets at least once a year to review scheme activities.

The scheme is built around three components:

Component 1: establishing Enabling Units 🔗

Enabling Units are resource cells set up within colleges specifically to support differently-abled students. Coordinated by a nominated faculty member who receives a token honorarium, each Enabling Unit performs several key functions: facilitating admissions of students with disabilities through both open and reserved quotas; providing guidance and counselling on course selection; disseminating information about fee concessions, examination procedures, and reservation policies; assessing the educational needs of enrolled students to determine appropriate assistive devices; conducting awareness programmes for faculty; and helping students find suitable employment after graduation. A budget of Rs. 50,000 per year is provided for administration, expert services, and organising awareness and counselling programmes.

Component 2: improving campus accessibility 🔗

Under this component, the UGC provides a one-time grant of up to Rs. 5 lakh per college to address physical accessibility. Colleges are required to create facilities such as ramps, handrails, and specially designed toilets, and to ensure that all existing and new constructions comply with the accessibility guidelines laid down by the Office of the Chief Commissioner of Disabilities, Government of India. The objective is to make campuses navigable and functionally independent for students with mobility, visual, or other physical disabilities.

Component 3: providing special equipment 🔗

This component covers the procurement of assistive devices and specialised equipment that go beyond what is available through other government schemes. Colleges can receive grants of up to Rs. 1.5 lakh for purchasing equipment such as screen readers, Braille embossers, adapted computers, and other tools that directly support the learning of differently-abled students. The Enabling Unit is also responsible for maintaining these devices and encouraging students to use them regularly to enhance their educational experience.

How these three schemes work together 🔗

What makes this set of Ministry of Education interventions particularly effective is that they are not isolated programmes – they form a connected pathway. Samagra Shiksha builds the inclusive foundation from pre-school to Class XII. IEDSS ensures that students with disabilities are not left behind during the critical secondary years of Classes IX to XII. And HEPSN extends support into higher education, giving students the institutional scaffolding they need to pursue degrees and, ultimately, careers.

The National Education Policy 2020 explicitly emphasises the need for inclusive education that removes disparities and equalises opportunities for all learners, particularly those with disabilities. These three schemes are the operational expression of that policy vision. For educators, administrators, and families of children with disabilities, understanding what each scheme offers – and how to access it – is a practical first step toward making inclusive education a lived reality rather than just a stated goal.

What do you think? Do you feel that the financial support and infrastructure provisions under these schemes are sufficient to meet the diverse needs of students with different types of disabilities across urban and rural settings? And given that IEDSS is now subsumed within Samagra Shiksha, how can schools be better supported to implement its provisions at the secondary level in practice?

References

1. https://samagra.education.gov.in/inclusive.html
2. https://dsel.education.gov.in/en/scheme/samagra-shiksha
3. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1849880&reg=3&lang=2
4. https://www.samagrashikshasikkim.org/scheme/SchemeDetails?SchemeID=34
5. https://ssa.megeducation.gov.in/Inclusive-Education/inclusive-education
6. https://www.education.gov.in/en/higher-education-person-special-needs-hepsn
7. https://www.ugc.gov.in/subpage/scheme_differently_abled.aspx
8. https://disabilitylaw.org.in/disability-law/education/633-2/
9. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1982426&reg=3&lang=2