Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday, 19 July 2026, launched a set of specialised books in Dehradun under the state's Inclusive Education Mission-2030, aimed at strengthening holistic development and inclusive schooling for children with special needs.

Context

Posting on X, CM Dhami announced the book launch in Hindi, stating: 'आज देहरादून में समावेशी शिक्षा मिशन-2030 के अंतर्गत विशेष आवश्यकता वाले बच्चों के सर्वांगीण विकास एवं समावेशी शिक्षण को सशक्त करने हेतु पुस्तकों का लोकार्पण किया।' ('Today in Dehradun, books were launched under the Inclusive Education Mission-2030 to empower the all-round development and inclusive learning of children with special needs.')

He also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, noting that Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to implement the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020). The claim of being the first state to implement NEP-2020 has been a consistent position of the Uttarakhand government since it began early adoption measures from 2021 onward.

Policy Backdrop

The National Education Policy 2020 was approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020, replacing the 1986 policy. It emphasises equity, inclusion, and multidisciplinary learning, with a specific mandate to ensure accessible and quality education for children with disabilities across all school systems.

Uttarakhand's Inclusive Education Mission-2030 is aligned with both NEP-2020 directives and India's commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4), which targets inclusive and quality education for all by 2030. The newly launched books are designed to serve as learning tools tailored to children with special educational needs, integrating the pedagogical principles of the national policy.

The state government has progressively updated curricula and conducted teacher training programmes as part of its NEP-2020 rollout, positioning Uttarakhand as a model for other states in early adoption of the reform framework.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the book launch are children with special needs enrolled in Uttarakhand's school system, along with educators and special educators who will use these materials in classrooms. Inclusive education frameworks require adapted instructional materials, and the launch addresses a long-standing gap in vernacular, accessible content for this student group.

Teachers and school administrators across Uttarakhand are also key stakeholders, as effective implementation depends on trained personnel who can deploy the new books within existing school structures. The broader education ecosystem — including parents of children with special needs — stands to benefit from more structured, policy-backed learning resources.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the distribution and effective deployment of these books across schools in Uttarakhand, particularly in remote hill districts where children with special needs often have the least access to adapted learning materials. Progress metrics for the Inclusive Education Mission-2030 and comparable implementation timelines in other states will be closely watched.

As NEP-2020 adoption widens nationally, Uttarakhand's model — including this book launch — could serve as a reference point for states still in early stages of inclusive education reform.