Higher Education Challenges — Policy Reforms

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
86th Amendment Act	2002	Inserted Article 21A into the Constitution, making elementary education (6-14 years) a fundamental right. It also amended Article 45 to direct the state to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years. While directly impacting elementary education, its spirit underpins the broader right to education, influencing policy discourse on higher education as a societal good.	Elevated elementary education to a fundamental right, thereby increasing the state's constitutional obligation. Indirectly, it set a precedent for viewing education as a core right, influencing the discourse on access and equity in higher education, though higher education itself remains largely under DPSP.