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@article{186807,
        author = {Bharat Bhau Raut},
        title = {Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Sustainable Development Goals: A Study of Inclusive Education in India},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {6},
        pages = {6240-6245},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=186807},
        abstract = {Education has long been recognized as a fundamental driver of social transformation, economic progress, and inclusive national development. In India, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), launched in 2001, represented a major milestone in the country’s commitment to universalizing elementary education. Designed as a flagship programme to achieve the constitutional mandate of free and compulsory education for all children aged 6 to 14 years, SSA sought to remove disparities and ensure access, equity, and quality education. Parallelly, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality)—have provided a global framework to advance educational inclusion and gender justice.
This research paper explores the conceptual and policy linkages between SSA and the SDGs, focusing on how the Indian educational framework contributes to inclusive and equitable quality education. It examines SSA’s evolution, objectives, strategies, and achievements, as well as the challenges that persist in bridging the digital divide, improving learning outcomes, and ensuring gender parity. The paper is grounded in a descriptive and analytical approach, relying on secondary data, government policy documents, and international reports to highlight the continuity between SSA, the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009, and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The discussion further contextualizes the SSA within Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of education as a tool for social emancipation and equality. Ambedkar’s assertion that “the progress of a community is measured by the degree of progress which women have achieved” remains central to the study’s interpretive framework. Through this lens, the paper analyses SSA’s role in promoting inclusive education by empowering marginalized communities, girls, and differently-abled children. Findings suggest that while SSA has achieved near-universal enrolment and improved infrastructure, challenges such as quality learning, teacher training, digital inequality, and regional disparities continue to affect educational inclusivity. The SDGs offer an opportunity to realign SSA’s objectives toward sustainable learning and lifelong education for all.
The study concludes that achieving SDG 4 and SDG 5 requires continuous strengthening of the SSA framework, integration of NEP 2020 reforms, technological inclusivity, and localized community participation. Education must be re-envisioned as a lifelong, inclusive, and empowering process—bridging social gaps and preparing India for a knowledge-based future.},
        keywords = {Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA); Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Inclusive Education; Educational Equity; Universalization; Gender Equality; RTE Act 2009; NEP 2020; Dr. B.R. Ambedkar; Social Justice; Digital Divide; Educational Policy; Quality Education; Primary Education; Women Empowerment; Educational Access; Educational Reforms; Educational Inclusion; India; Lifelong Learning.},
        month = {November},
        }