Evaluation of NEP 2020 in Addressing Visual Impairment in Special Education

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a major reorientation of India’s education system with explicit commitments to inclusion and accessibility. This paper evaluates how NEP 2020 and its implementation instruments address the educational needs of learners with visual impairment (VI). Using a policy-analysis approach — reviewing the NEP text, government guidance documents, implementation frameworks and recent field studies — the paper examines strengths (clear inclusive mandate, technology emphasis, teacher preparation), gaps (implementation capacity, assistive-material supply, assessment adaptations) and emergent challenges on the ground. The paper concludes with targeted recommendations to make NEP’s aspirations for learners with VI operational and measurable. Key sources include the NEP full text, Inclusive Education guidance, national implementation guidelines and recent field studies and reports.