Academic Resilience in Education: An Inclusive Policy-Based Study for Disadvantaged Students

Abstract

Education is considered to be the main medium of social change, equal opportunity and inclusive development. But the process of education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds in India is associated with many social, economic and psychological challenges. Factors such as poverty, social exclusion, limited resources, school discrimination and mental stress affect the academic continuity and achievement of students. Despite these adversities, some students succeed academically, largely due to academic resilience. Academic resilience is the ability of students to sustain the learning process despite academic setbacks, stressful circumstances, and structural barriers. The paper theoretically reinforces the concept of academic resilience and links it to inclusive educational policies designed for disadvantaged students. It presents an in-depth analysis of the RTE Act 2009, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and National Education Policy 2020 along with a detailed review of the relevant literature. The study establishes the argument that inclusive policies, sensitive teacher behaviors, and supportive social environments can combine to develop academic resilience in disadvantaged students, thereby realizing educational equity and social justice.