Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday, 19 July 2026, launched the Shine Avi Learning 'Samaveshi Shiksha Mission-2030' (Inclusive Education Mission-2030) at a private hotel on Rajpur Road, Dehradun, marking a significant state push to mainstream special-needs children into quality schooling. At the event, he also released a range of books and teaching materials built around a Visual Learning Curriculum designed specifically for children with special needs.

Context

Speaking at the launch, Chief Minister Dhami described the initiative as 'an important step towards making education simpler, more effective and more inclusive' (shiksha ko aur adhik saral, prabhavi aur samaveshi banane ki disha mein mahatvapurna kadam). He credited both the central and state governments with consistently prioritising education, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Education Policy 2020 as the guiding framework — one aimed at preparing children not merely to pass examinations but to think, innovate and advance with confidence.

The event was also notable for the human story behind Shine Avi Learning. The CM praised educationist Smt. Anita Sharma, who returned from abroad to develop innovative learning materials in Uttarakhand — what he called 'reverse migration' — and held her up as a model for other members of the diaspora to emulate.

Policy Backdrop

Uttarakhand's inclusive-education push sits within a broader national architecture. The National Education Policy 2020 replaced the 1986 policy and mandates holistic, multidisciplinary and accessible learning, while the Right to Education Act 2009 had earlier required schools to provide accessibility infrastructure for children with disabilities. Under the PM SHRI scheme (2022), model schools with digital infrastructure were established across states including Uttarakhand.

At the state level, the government has rolled out smart classrooms, ICT labs, PM SHRI Vidyalayas, Atal Utkrisht Vidyalayas, digital teaching materials, and science-and-innovation-based pedagogy. To make schools physically accessible, facilities such as ramps, railings, accessible toilets, adapted furniture and clean drinking water have been strengthened across the school network.

Stakeholders and Impact

Chief Minister Dhami stated that approximately 5,800 children with special needs are enrolled across various levels of schooling in the state. Through 11 government-run special schools, more than 1,300 children are receiving specialised teaching and rehabilitation services. At the primary and secondary levels, the state has appointed more than 300 special educators, with recruitment for remaining vacancies continuing.

The Visual Learning Curriculum released at the event is intended to bridge the gap for learners who struggle with conventional text-heavy instruction. Broader beneficiaries include mainstream school students who stand to gain from the inclusive infrastructure upgrades, and returning migrants who may find a model in Anita Sharma's initiative for contributing to Uttarakhand's development.

The Chief Minister also used the occasion to highlight the state's wider governance record — being the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), topping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) rankings among Indian states, and enacting a strict anti-copying law to clean up public examinations.

What's Next

The immediate focus will be on rolling out the Visual Learning Curriculum and Shine Avi Learning materials across districts in Uttarakhand, particularly in the state's special schools and inclusive classrooms. Completing the pending recruitment of special educators will be a key administrative milestone. If the Mission-2030 model demonstrates measurable outcomes, it could serve as a template for replication in other hill states grappling with similar access and inclusion challenges in education.

Present at the launch were MLA Shri Munna Singh Chauhan, Additional Secretary Shri Banshidhar Tiwari, Vice-Chairman of the Media Advisory Committee Shri Dhirendra Panwar, Smt. Anita Sharma, and other officials and dignitaries.