AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF INDIAN WOMEN’S EDUCATION POLICIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS

AUTHOR – MANGALLEIBI ONGNAM* & DR. AVISHEK RAJ**

* LL.M., THE ICFAI UNIVERSITY, DEHRADUN.

** ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT DEPARTMENT OF LAW, THE ICFAI UNIVERSITY, DEHRADUN

BEST CITATION – MANGALLEIBI ONGNAM & DR. AVISHEK RAJ, AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF INDIAN WOMEN’S EDUCATION POLICIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (6) OF 2026, PG. 814-828, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

The constitutional promise of educational equality for women in India, inscribed across Articles 14, 15, 21A, 45, and 46 of the Constitution of India, has generated an elaborate scaffolding of legislative enactments, national policies, and targeted government schemes. Yet a persistent and troubling chasm separates the textual ambition of these frameworks from the lived experience of millions of women and girls across the country. This article undertakes a doctrinal and analytical examination of the legal architecture governing women’s education in India, tracing its historical evolution from colonial-era reforms through the National Education Policy 2020, and critically evaluating the constitutional adequacy and practical impact of key legislative and programmatic interventions including the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. Drawing on judicial pronouncements from the Supreme Court and constitutional court decisions, the article identifies structural gaps   including caste-based exclusion, geographic disparity, the digital divide, and early marriage   that continue to undermine policy effectiveness. A comparative analysis of international frameworks, including CEDAW and the Sustainable Development Goals, informs a set of legally grounded recommendations for achieving substantive educational equality. The central thesis advanced is that while India’s constitutional design creates strong normative foundations, the realisation of women’s right to education requires institutional reform, adequate financing, and intersectional policy thinking that current frameworks inadequately provide.

KEYWORDS: Women’s Education; Right to Education; Article 21A; RTE Act 2009; Beti Bachao Beti Padhao; Gender Equality; Constitutional Law; National Education Policy 2020; CEDAW; Intersectionality