This article examines the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE, 2009) in India, including its origin, the system of schools to which it gave rise, and its importance against the backdrop of the larger Indian society. This article further assesses the progress made in the implementation of the RTE, the roadblocks, and the role of different stakeholders in the system to make RTE a working reality. The benefits of integration in the overall functioning of the education system and its different elements such as the students, teachers, the school culture and the larger community are explored in the article. In conclusion, the article gives policy recommendations to close the skills gap and thereby create an ecosystem that will support integration at every level.