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India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 proposes Special Education Zones (SEZs) as a strategic mechanism to address entrenched inequities in access, quality, and outcomes for children with disabilities, including those with intellectual disability (ID). While the policy framework is contemporary, its philosophical and structural roots resonate strongly with earlier indigenous models of child-centred education. This paper undertakes a critical, historically informed analysis of the structural relevance of Gijubhai Badheka’s Bal Mandir model in shaping and strengthening the conceptual foundations of NEP 2020’s SEZ strategy for children with intellectual disability (ID). Using a qualitative policy-analytical approach, the study maps the core principles of the Bal Mandir—child autonomy, experiential learning, emotional security, community embeddedness, and teacher as facilitator—against NEP 2020’s provisions on inclusive education, curricular flexibility, multidisciplinary support, and decentralised implementation within SEZs. The analysis demonstrates that Gijubhai model anticipated key elements now articulated in NEP 2020, including developmentally appropriate pedagogy, reduced curricular rigidity, and contextual adaptation to learner needs. Special emphasis is placed on how the Bal Mandir’s non-deficit, strength-based orientation aligns with contemporary rights-based and capability approaches to intellectual disability. The paper further examines operational parallels, suggesting that SEZs can function as modern institutional analogues of Bal Mandirs when designed as inclusive learning ecosystems rather than segregated remedial spaces. By bridging historical foresight with modern policy intent, this study argues that revisiting indigenous pedagogical frameworks can enhance the conceptual clarity, cultural legitimacy, and implementation fidelity of NEP 2020’s SEZ strategy for ID. The paper concludes with policy-relevant recommendations for embedding Bal Mandir-inspired design principles into SEZ planning, teacher preparation, and monitoring frameworks to ensure meaningful, sustainable inclusion for learners with intellectual disability.
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