Inclusive Education in India: Historical Evolution and Contemporary Practices Toward Learning Without Boundaries

Inclusive education in India signifies a constitutional, philosophical, and pedagogical movement toward equity, dignity, and human rights. Grounded in both indigenous educational thought and global frameworks such as the Salamanca Statement and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), it envisions schools where every learner, irrespective of caste, gender, ability, language, or socioeconomic background, can learn and participate fully. This theoretical study analyzes the evolution of inclusive education from pre-independence reform movements to contemporary frameworks such as the Right to Education Act (2009), Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016), National Education Policy (2020), and National Curriculum Framework for School Education (2023). Using a PRISMA informed systematic review of key documents, this study traced historical development, reviews constitutional and policy provisions, examines inclusive pedagogical practices, and identifies persistent challenges. The findings show that India has developed a strong legal and policy framework to support inclusive education. Recent reforms emphasize multilingual learning, flexible curriculum, competency based assessment, digital access, and teacher training. However, several challenges remain. Inadequate infrastructure, limited teacher preparation, rigid examination systems, digital inequality, and social biases continue to restrict full participation of marginalized learners. The study concludes that inclusive education must go beyond policy statements and become a lived classroom practice. Achieving “learning without boundaries” requires better teacher support, improved infrastructure, coordinated governance, and a change in mindset that values diversity as a strength rather than a limitation.