As a result of the boom in private-sector education and the attempts to universalize elementary education, there has been an unprecedented increase in school enrolment in India. Still, large numbers of children, especially from disadvantaged communities, are deprived of quality education, which has thwarted the equitable access to basic education. This book explores such exclusion and the policies and actions required to develop an inclusive education system. It focuses on aspects ranging from malnutrition, gender and social equity, migration, drop out, and differentiation in schooling provisions to matters of teaching and governance. Combining statistical analysis and reviews, it explains patterns of access and exclusion. Outlining policy and legislation on access to education, the book analyses the way in which educational access is conceptualized and identifies areas for future research.