International journal of Education, Technology and Social Sciences

Education has gradually emerged as a core constitutional entitlement in India through sustained judicial interpretation and policy reform. Although the Constitution originally placed education within the Directive Principles of State Policy, the Supreme Court, by adopting a purposive interpretation of Article 21, expanded the right to life to include the right to education. This judicial evolution culminated in the insertion of Article 21A and the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The paper examines the conceptual foundations of education as a fundamental right, tracing its development through landmark judgments such as Mohini Jain and Unni Krishnan, and evaluates how judicial mandates have shaped legislative and policy frameworks. It critically analyses the interaction between constitutional guarantees, international human rights norms, and domestic educational reforms, with particular emphasis on access, equity, and quality. Despite significant legal recognition, persistent disparities across states reveal gaps in implementation, financing, and inclusive delivery. The study argues that realizing the transformative promise of the right to education requires moving beyond formal access toward substantive quality, equity, and accountability within India‘s evolving educational governance framework.