Bihar government schools lack facilities for students with disabilities, says athlete Shailesh Kumar

The story

Speaking during an interview at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Shailesh Kumar, a sports player from Bihar, highlighted the severe barriers faced by disabled students in his home state. Kumar, who identified himself as India's first wheelchair-using "full marathon runner," explained that it was only after acquiring a disability himself that he truly understood the critical importance of education.

According to Kumar, government schools in Bihar are largely devoid of the necessary facilities required to accommodate students with physical challenges. This lack of infrastructure, he said, directly prevents many children who cannot walk or who are affected by polio from attending school and receiving an education.

Kumar expressed concern that despite India marking over 75 years of independence, basic educational access remains out of reach for the country's most vulnerable. He remarked that the individuals at the very end of the social spectrum, who are most in need of education, are still being left behind by the current system.