In Brief
Rajneesh Kumar Pandey and others challenged the State of U.P.'s approach to educating children with disabilities through only special schools. The Supreme Court held that while special schools are valuable, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandates inclusive education—where students with and without disabilities learn together in mainstream schools with reasonable accommodations. The Court directed the State to file a comprehensive affidavit on implementing inclusive education across mainstream institutions, emphasizing equality and non-discrimination. A Committee was appointed to verify the State's efforts and assess existing facilities, with the matter to be listed for hearing in January 2018.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.