What Is Saksham—and Why Does It Matter?
Saksham is the Government of India’s flagship centrally sponsored scheme under the Department of School Education & Literacy, launched in 2017–18 to strengthen inclusive education for children with disabilities (CwD) from Classes I to XII. Unlike earlier fragmented interventions, Saksham integrates financial support, teacher capacity building, assistive device provision, and school infrastructure adaptation into a unified framework. As of 2023–24, it operates across all 36 states and union territories, supporting over 1.24 million children with disabilities—up from 792,000 in 2018–19. Critically, Saksham aligns with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016), which recognizes 21 disability categories, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific learning disabilities (SLD), and speech and language impairments—conditions previously under-identified in mainstream schooling. Its success directly influences India’s progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4.5 (ensuring equal access to education) and the National Education Policy 2020’s mandate for universal foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 2, including for learners with diverse needs.
Historical Context and Legislative Foundations
Prior to Saksham, India’s inclusive education efforts were largely siloed. The Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) scheme (1974) and the more robust Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) component for CwD (2001) laid groundwork but suffered from inconsistent funding, weak monitoring, and minimal teacher training. A 2015 Ministry of Human Resource Development audit revealed that only 38% of SSA-funded special educators had completed the mandatory 1-year B.Ed. (Special Education) program; 62% held no formal qualification in disability-inclusive pedagogy. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD), 2016, was a watershed moment: it expanded legal recognition from 7 to 21 disability types, mandated 5% reservation in government jobs, and required schools to provide ‘reasonable accommodation’—a term defined operationally in Saksham guidelines as modifications in curriculum, assessment, environment, and teaching methodology.
From Policy to Practice: Key Structural Shifts
Saksham introduced three structural innovations that distinguish it from predecessors. First, it shifted from a ‘special educator per cluster’ model to a ‘child-specific resource person’ (CSRP) model—assigning one trained CSRPs to support up to 15 children across multiple schools within a 5–10 km radius. Second, it replaced lump-sum grants to schools with activity-based, outcome-linked disbursements—for example, ₹15,000 per child annually for assistive devices, ₹25,000 per school for barrier-free infrastructure upgrades, and ₹1,200 per month per child for transport allowances. Third, it embedded real-time data tracking via the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) portal, enabling disaggregated enrollment, attendance, and transition rate reporting by disability type, gender, and social category.
Implementation Mechanisms and Resource Allocation
Saksham operates through a three-tier governance structure: national (Ministry of Education), state (State Implementation Societies), and district (District Institutes of Education and Training—DIETs). Funding flows 60:40 between Centre and states (90:10 for NE and special category states). Between FY 2018–19 and FY 2022–23, central outlay increased from ₹412.3 crore to ₹1,147.8 crore—a 178% rise. Crucially, at least 40% of funds must be spent on direct child support: assistive devices, home-based education, early intervention, and stipends. The remaining 60% covers human resources (CSRPs, special educators, sign language interpreters), capacity building, and infrastructural adaptation.
Assistive Devices: From Quantity to Quality Assurance
Saksham has distributed over 2.8 million assistive devices since inception—including 412,000 hearing aids (models such as Phonak Naida Q70 and Oticon Real), 328,000 braille kits (from institutions like the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped), and 186,000 wheelchairs (standard ISO 7176-11 compliant models from Bharat Wheelchair and Sunrise Medical). However, a 2022 NCERT study found that 29% of hearing aids distributed lacked proper fitting verification using real-ear measurement (REM) protocols, leading to suboptimal amplification. Similarly, only 54% of braille kits included grade-wise, curriculum-aligned material—not just generic slates and styluses. To address this, the Ministry introduced mandatory vendor certification in 2021, requiring suppliers to demonstrate adherence to IS 16795:2017 (Braille Production Standards) and ISO 13485 (Medical Device Quality Management).
Teacher Capacity Building: Gaps and Progress
Saksham mandates 20 days of annual refresher training for all regular teachers handling CwD, delivered by DIETs or National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)-accredited agencies. As of March 2023, 612,489 teachers had undergone training—representing 73% of the target cohort. Yet fidelity remains uneven: a random sample audit across 12 districts showed that only 41% of trained teachers could correctly administer the NIPUN Bharat-aligned phonological awareness screening tool for children with dyslexia. Moreover, sign language interpreter deployment lags severely: though 1,842 interpreters were sanctioned nationally for 2022–23, only 1,103 were deployed—leaving 739 sanctioned positions vacant. The gap is starkest in rural settings: in Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon district, one interpreter serves 24 schools across 180 sq. km.
Measurable Outcomes and Equity Disparities
UDISE+ 2021–22 data reveals both advances and persistent inequities. Overall, the gross enrollment ratio (GER) for CwD rose from 65.2% in 2017–18 to 78.4% in 2021–22—narrowing the gap with non-disabled peers (GER = 86.2%). However, disaggregation exposes deep stratification:
- GER for children with locomotor disability: 83.1% (closest to parity)
- GER for children with intellectual disability: 52.7% (lowest among all categories)
- GER for girls with disabilities: 74.3% vs. boys: 82.6%—a 8.3-point gender gap
- GER for Scheduled Caste (SC) children with disabilities: 70.9%; for Scheduled Tribe (ST): 66.2%
Retention also varies sharply. The dropout rate before Class VIII stands at 14.8% for CwD overall—but climbs to 28.3% for children with multiple disabilities and 31.7% for those with ASD. A longitudinal NCERT study (2020–2023) tracking 3,421 children across Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Assam found that students receiving full Saksham support (CSRP + assistive device + home visitation) were 3.2× more likely to achieve foundational literacy benchmarks by Grade 2 than those receiving only partial support.
| Disability Category | GER (2021–22) | Average Annual Growth Rate (2018–2022) | % Schools with Barrier-Free Access (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locomotor | 83.1% | +2.4% | 68.3% |
| Visual | 74.6% | +1.9% | 52.1% |
| Hearing | 72.8% | +2.1% | 49.7% |
| Intellectual | 52.7% | +1.3% | 33.9% |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder | 58.4% | +3.7% | 27.5% |
| Specific Learning Disability | 69.2% | +4.2% | 41.8% |
Classroom-Level Impact: What Teachers and Students Report
Fieldwork conducted by the Azim Premji University team in 2022–23 across 87 schools in Bihar, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu captured nuanced classroom realities. Teachers consistently highlighted the value of the Saksham-provided ‘Inclusive Teaching Toolkit’—a set of 12 tactile, multilingual, low-cost resources including textured number cards (aligned with NCF 2005’s emphasis on multi-sensory learning), emotion flashcards with ASL and Indian Sign Language (ISL) glossaries, and storyboards with simplified syntax for children with language processing delays. One Grade 3 teacher in Puri district reported that her student with Down syndrome progressed from zero-letter recognition to reading 3-letter CVC words after consistent use of the tactile alphabet chart over 14 weeks.
Yet challenges persist. In 63% of observed classrooms, teachers used ‘peer buddy’ systems without structured guidance—resulting in social isolation rather than inclusion. A Grade 5 student with cerebral palsy in Ranchi described how untrained peers ‘carried me like luggage’ during assembly instead of co-designing accessible movement routines. Furthermore, while Saksham funds Braille textbooks, only 31% of schools surveyed had received Grade-appropriate versions for Mathematics and Environmental Studies—most received only Language texts. This mismatch impedes concept development: a child may read ‘triangle’ in Braille but cannot physically explore its properties without raised-line geometry kits, which remain scarce.
Home-Based Education: A Lifeline for High-Need Learners
For children with severe or profound disabilities who cannot attend school regularly, Saksham funds home-based education (HBE) delivered by CSRPs or special educators. As of 2022–23, 42,389 children received HBE—up from 18,952 in 2018–19. Each HBE session lasts 2 hours weekly, with monthly home visits and quarterly progress reviews. The curriculum follows NCERT’s ‘Learning Enhancement Programme’ (LEP), emphasizing functional life skills, communication, and motor development. A 2023 evaluation by the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) found that children receiving ≥36 HBE sessions annually showed statistically significant gains (p<0.01) in adaptive behavior scores (Vineland-II scale), particularly in daily living skills (+18.4 percentile points) and communication (+15.7 percentile points).
Critical Gaps and Emerging Priorities
Despite progress, four systemic gaps undermine Saksham’s transformative potential. First, assessment misalignment: 89% of schools still use standard summative exams for CwD, even though Saksham guidelines require flexible, formative alternatives—such as portfolio assessments, oral presentations, or pictorial responses. Second, infrastructure deficits: UDISE+ data shows only 44.2% of schools have ramps meeting CPWD Accessibility Guidelines 2016 specifications (1:12 slope, non-slip surface, handrails at 750 mm and 900 mm heights). Third, data fragmentation: Saksham data resides in UDISE+, while RPwD certification records are maintained separately by State Disability Commissioners—creating mismatches in beneficiary identification. Fourth, neurodiversity readiness: While Saksham lists ASD and SLD, most CSRPs lack training in evidence-based practices like visual schedules (based on TEACCH methodology) or explicit phonics instruction for dyslexia (Orton-Gillingham aligned).
Emerging priorities reflect these insights. The Ministry piloted the ‘Saksham Plus’ module in 2023 across 50 districts, integrating AI-assisted screening tools (e.g., the Mysuru-based startup EnableX’s dyslexia screener, validated against WISC-V) and expanding CSRP roles to include family counseling and linkage to early intervention centers. Additionally, NCERT released revised ‘Inclusive Pedagogy Frameworks’ in 2024, embedding Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and specifying concrete adaptations—such as allowing students with ADHD to submit audio responses for reflective writing tasks or providing graphic organizers with sentence starters for children with expressive language disorder.
Policy Recommendations Grounded in Evidence
Based on empirical findings from national datasets, field studies, and third-party evaluations, five actionable recommendations emerge:
- Mandate UDL-aligned lesson planning: Require all teachers handling CwD to submit bi-monthly lesson plans demonstrating at least two UDL checkpoints (e.g., multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression), verified by DIET mentors.
- Scale certified assistive technology hubs: Establish 100 district-level AT resource centers by 2026, staffed by rehabilitation engineers certified under the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), to conduct REM for hearing aids and tactile graphics validation for STEM materials.
- Integrate RPwD and UDISE+ databases: Launch a unified ‘Saksham ID’ system by Q2 2025, enabling automatic cross-verification of disability certification and school enrollment status.
- Expand neurodiversity-specific training: Roll out RCI-accredited micro-credentials in ASD support (120-hour course) and SLD pedagogy (100-hour course) for 200,000 teachers by 2027, co-developed with institutions like the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences.
- Incentivize inclusive school leadership: Introduce a ‘Saksham Star School’ award with ₹5 lakh annual grants for schools achieving ≥90% retention of CwD, ≥85% teacher participation in inclusive pedagogy workshops, and verified barrier-free infrastructure compliance.
These recommendations are not aspirational—they are calibrated to existing fiscal envelopes and administrative capacities. For instance, the proposed AT hubs build directly on the 2022–23 allocation of ₹192.4 crore for ‘assistive device maintenance and calibration’, while the micro-credential framework leverages NCERT’s already-established online platform, DIKSHA, which hosts 4.2 million registered educators.
Looking Ahead: Saksham in the Age of NEP 2020
The National Education Policy 2020 envisions ‘no child left behind’ through foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) by Grade 2—and Saksham is now the primary vehicle to deliver FLN for children with disabilities. The policy’s emphasis on multidisciplinary teams, flexible curricula, and community ownership resonates strongly with Saksham’s evolving architecture. Recent developments signal alignment: the 2023 ‘NIPUN Bharat Saksham Integration Guidelines’ require all CSRPs to co-facilitate FLN remediation camps alongside Anganwadi workers and ASHA personnel, ensuring continuity from pre-school to Grade 2. Likewise, the integration of Saksham with Samagra Shiksha—the umbrella scheme subsuming SSA, RMSA, and Teacher Education—has streamlined fund flow and reduced reporting duplication by 43%, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2023 report.
However, long-term sustainability hinges on shifting from input-driven metrics (e.g., number of devices distributed) to outcome-oriented accountability (e.g., % of CwD achieving Grade-level competencies in reading fluency and mathematical reasoning). A pilot in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district demonstrated that when schools linked Saksham funding to FLN benchmark achievement—using NCERT’s standardized ‘Prerna’ assessment—learning gains for children with disabilities rose by 22% over 18 months compared to control schools. Scaling such models requires political will, technical rigor, and above all, centering the voices of children with disabilities—not as beneficiaries, but as co-designers of their educational futures. As one 12-year-old student with spina bifida and a Saksham wheelchair user stated during a 2023 NCERT consultation: ‘My wheelchair lets me get to school. But what I really need is for my teacher to know how to teach me—not just carry me.’ That statement captures Saksham’s unfinished work—and its enduring promise.
