Latest news with #RTEAct
India Today
14 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Ex-AIADMK leader slams BJP over education fund delay, eyes Vijay's party next?
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam lashed out at the BJP-led Union Government for not releasing education funds under the Samagraha Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).In a statement, OPS said that withholding the funds was 'highly condemnable' and went against the federal structure of the Nadu is yet to receive Rs 2,151.59 crore from the Centre under the SSA scheme. Chief Minister MK Stalin had recently submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, urging the release of the funds during the PM's visit to the OPS, who was expelled from the AIADMK following Edappadi K Palaniswami's rise but remained with the NDA, said the delay was directly impacting the education of students. 'Due to the Central Government's actions, 25 per cent of students studying under the RTE Act in private schools are now facing dispute between the Centre and the State should not be a reason to punish students and teachers,' he said. He further accused the Centre of violating both the Right to Education Act and the principles of timing of OPS' statement is politically significant, as EPS has launched a statewide tour and has categorically rejected any re-entry of OPS into the AIADMK close to OPS suggest his camp is now increasingly aligning with actor Vijay's Thamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam, raising speculation about a potential alliance ahead of the 2026 elections.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: RTE admission stalled, pvt schools cite lack of reimbursement norms
Private unaided schools in Punjab appear to be stalling the admission of children from disadvantaged and economically weaker sections under the Right to Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, citing delays in the issuance of per-child reimbursement notification and admission guidelines. A non-governmental organisation, the Action Committee for RTE Act, in a letter to chief secretary KAP Sinha and top officers of the school education department on July 14, highlighted the continued non-implementation of the RTE Act's provisions despite the court ruling. (HT File) The Punjab and Haryana high court had, in its order dated February 19, directed all private unaided recognised schools in the state to reserve 25% of their Class 1 seats for children from weaker and disadvantaged sections in the state. The court also ordered the state government to ensure strict enforcement of this direction in the 2025-26 academic session. The school education department followed up the court's ruling with instructions to DPI, elementary education and all district education officers (DEOs) on March 20, but with little effect, as complaints continue to pile up against private schools for delaying or refusing admissions to children from economically weaker sections (EWS). A non-governmental organisation, the Action Committee for RTE Act, in a letter to chief secretary KAP Sinha and top officers of the school education department on July 14, highlighted the continued non-implementation of the RTE Act's provisions despite the court ruling. 'Thousands of eligible children are being denied admission to unaided private schools, and no steps are being taken by the state government to enforce the legal provisions,' wrote the action committee, a group of social activists, along with a list of 78 eligible children from weaker sections who were denied admissions in recent weeks. Of them, 27 children are in Mohali, 10 in Ropar, six in Bathinda, five in Patiala, four in Amritsar, three in Ludhiana and two each in Gurdaspur and Mansa. Jagjit Singh Dhuri, president of the Federation of Private Schools and Associations, attributed the delay in admitting children to the non-issuance of admission guidelines and the notification for per-child reimbursement by the state government. 'Private schools are not against implementing the RTE provisions, but it is not feasible for them to admit children without a clear mechanism for admissions and reimbursement. We have repeatedly requested the state and district authorities to do the needful,' he claimed. Section 12(2) of the RTE Act requires the government to reimburse all private schools for reserving 25% of their entry-level seats for children from EWS and disadvantaged groups. In many states, private unaided schools receive reimbursement equal to either the per-child expenditure incurred by the state in government schools or the actual amount charged from the child, whichever is lower. While a member of the management of a private school in Mohali said that the authorities in most states notify the per-child reimbursement before June 30, the education officer (elementary) of a district in the state, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was awaiting instructions from the department regarding admission and reimbursement to schools. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data, Punjab has 7,704 private unaided recognised schools. It may be recalled that the RTE Act 2009 mandated private schools to admit in class I children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in the neighbourhood to the extent of 25% of the strength of that class, and to provide free and compulsory elementary education till its completion. However, the then government in the state framed the Punjab RTE Rules in 2011, providing that children from disadvantaged groups must first seek admission in government schools, and they could approach unaided schools for admission only after getting a no-objection certificate from government schools on the ground of non-availability of seats or other reasons. As a result, there were no admissions of children from disadvantaged groups in private schools in the state under the RTE Act. However, the high court in February this year struck down Rule 7(4) of the Punjab RTE Rules, 2011 and ordered immediate implementation of the EWS quota. Last week, the court also issued a notice to the state government on a public interest litigation seeking a CBI investigation into Rule 7(4) of the Punjab RTE Rules. The petitioner, former IAS officer Jagmohan Singh Raju, asserted that Rule 7(4) was 'unconstitutional, corrupt, and deliberately crafted' to serve the commercial interests of private schools at the cost of disadvantaged children's rights. The matter has been fixed for September 22.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
SP MP demands rollback of school merger
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party MP from Machhlishahr Priya Saroj has written to the Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan demanding review of the policy of 'integration of schools' in Uttar Pradesh and cancellation of the merger process. In her letter, Saroj said that the policy of integration of schools was being followed in Uttar Pradesh, which seems to be against the basic spirit of the Right to Education Act (RTE Act). "Under RTE Act, there is a provision that every child between the age of 6 to 14 years should be provided free and compulsory education within one kilometre of the nearest primary school from residence. If no school is available within a radius of one kilometre, then it is the responsibility of the govt to ensure admission of the child in the nearest school," she said. She said the current policy of the UP govt was violating the spirit of the Act. "This is hindering access to school for many children, leading more dropouts. Jobs of 2.5 lakh teachers and school staff of UP are also at risk," she said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
High court seeks Punjab govt's response on plea for CBI probe into rule denying RTE benefits
1 2 Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued a notice to the Punjab govt on a plea seeking a CBI investigation into the controversial Rule 7(4) of the Punjab RTE Rules — a regulation that, for over a decade, enabled private schools to sidestep mandatory admissions for children from economically weaker sections (EWS) for free education under the Right to Education Act, 2009. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry issued the notice after taking cognisance of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former IAS officer Dr Jagmohan Singh Raju. The matter has been fixed for Sept 22. Arguing before the bench, Dr Raju asserted that Rule 7(4) was "unconstitutional, corrupt, and deliberately crafted" to serve the commercial interests of private unaided schools at the cost of disadvantaged children's rights. He pleaded that the insertion of Rule 7(4) by the Punjab govt smacked of corruption, as this regulation prima facie appeared to have been incorporated primarily to provide a legal escape route to private unaided schools to avoid a reduction in their revenue on account of the considerable difference between the fee ordinarily charged by a private unaided school and the amount reimbursed by the govt per child admitted under Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act, 2009. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AirSense 11 – Smart tech for deep sleep ResMed Buy Now Undo The petitioner argued that the rule created a quid pro quo ecosystem, favouring private schools and shielding them from statutory consequences. "The state exchequer suffered massive financial losses, as no fines were levied or collected for 15 years. The insertion of Rule 7(4) smacks of large-scale, institutionalised corruption. A CBI inquiry is essential as state-level agencies have an inherent conflict of interest and lack the independence to investigate govt-originated wrongdoing," the petitioner submitted. Earlier, while taking cognisance of Dr Raju's plea, the high court struck down Rule 7(4) and directed the immediate implementation of the 25% EWS quota across private schools from the academic year 2025–26.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
RTE violations: HC asks Punjab to reply on plea for CBI probe by Sept 22
The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a response from the Punjab government on a plea demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged lapses in the implementation of Right to Education (RTE) provisions by private schools. The petition claims that private schools in Punjab were deliberately exempted from reserving seats for children from weaker sections, allegedly due to an 'ulterior motive.' he division bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry has sought response from the Punjab government by September 22 on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the KS Raju Legal Trust. (HT File) The division bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry has sought response from the Punjab government by September 22 on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the KS Raju Legal Trust. The plea challenges Rule 7(4) of the Punjab Right to Education Rules, 2011, arguing that it undermines the RTE Act, 2009, by preventing children from weaker sections from accessing private unaided schools. The PIL further alleged that, for the past 15 years, private schools violated the reservation mandate without facing de-recognition, due to state inaction. Notably, in an earlier petition by the same trust, the court had, on February 19, 2025, ordered all private unaided schools to reserve 25% of Class 1 seats for such students and directed the state to ensure compliance from the 2025–26 session.
