Prevailing Challenges in Access, Digital Divide, and Language of Instruction in School Education Anita Karwal,* Rajnish Kumar,** Rashi Sharma*** Abstract India has a rich cultural legacy, and diversity knocks doors in every neighborhood and community. The population and geographical spread are so huge, that many countries can be encompassed within India. Due to the multiplicity of languages, and regional priorities and contexts, the education offered by schools varies significantly across the nation. While this diversity does present several opportunities, it does have a few gaps and challenges to be overcome. Resource-constraint, regional disparities, and a definite policy direction for making education more engaging have been the main difficulties in closing the gap. The language gap is a specific difficulty, which is being singularly recognized and focused upon now. India's population is diverse, speaking more than 22 official languages and several dialects. Due to this, it is challenging for students from various regions to communicate with one another and their teachers if the language of instruction is alien to them. Another important issue is the digital divide. While some schools have access to the most recent tools and resources, others find it challenging to give their children a foundational understanding of digital literacy. However, India is now poised for change and transformation in the education sector. Various initiatives that can assist in closing the gap and giving the students more equal learning opportunities are being undertaken by the government, in line with the visionary National Education Policy 2020. School education promises to be much more engaging, relevant, and inclusive as the policy implementation unfolds across the length and breadth of the country. Anita Karwal, a 1988 batch IAS officer, was Secretary, Ministry of Education, Government of India, in her last posting before retirement in 2022. She was instrumental in developing and implementing the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE), NIPUN Bharat, revamped Samagra Shiksha, DIKSHA, NDEAR, etc. ** Rajnish Kumar, an Indian Railways officer and former Director in the Ministry of Education, Government of India, was closely involved in the development of the NCFSE and expansion of digital education in school education. *** Rashi Sharma, an officer from the Indian Postal Service, and former Director in Ministry of Education, Government of India, was deeply involved in the formulation and implementation of NEP 2020, NIPUN Bharat, Samagra Shiksha, Teachers’ training, etc. * Journal of the National Human Rights Commission, Vol. 22, 2023 39