Latest news with #RightToEducation
The Hindu
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
World Day Against Trafficking: Telangana pushes for time-bound justice for trafficked children
Despite stronger laws and expansion of rescue efforts, a disturbing gap between rescue and prosecution continues to plague India's fight against human trafficking, especially when it comes to children. This warning echoed across two major events held in Hyderabad to mark the World Day Against Trafficking, as law enforcement officials, members of civil society groups and policymakers called for urgent, time-bound prosecution and stronger coordination among institutions. At a State-level consultation organised by Just Rights for Children (JRC) along with the Women Safety Wing and Telangana State Legal Services Authority, officials reviewed the current legal and policy framework related to human trafficking in India, called for inter-agency coordination and advocated for a time-bound action plan. The Legal Services Authority signed an MoU with JRC's partner, the Association for Voluntary Action, to ensure faster justice, legal support, rehabilitation and compensation for victims. Between April 2024 and April 2025, the JRC network of 250 NGOs in 418 districts rescued 56,242 trafficked children and initiated over 38,000 legal actions across India. In Telangana alone, 12 JRC partner organisations have rescued more than 44,000 children since 2023, including over 19,000 from trafficking and labour. However, legal action was pursued in only 12,175 of those cases, underlining the troubling enforcement gap. Crimes against children and women demand deeper understanding. It is crucial that all stakeholders undergo consistent capacity building, said Kothkota Seetha Dayakar Reddy, chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights. Telangana Legal Services Authority member-secretary Panchakshari said that while laws like Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Right To Education are in place to safeguard children, gaps in implementation persist. 'To end trafficking, we must focus on early reporting and proactive identification of such cases,' the official said. 'Need for stakeholder collaboration' Anti-trafficking organisation Prajwala also hosted an awareness event at the KLN Auditorium, Red Hills, to drive public and institutional commitment against sex trafficking and cyber-enabled exploitation. Chief guest and Minister for Women and Child Welfare D. Seethakka emphasised the critical need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, calling for unified approach from government agencies, civil society and the public at large. The Minister felicitated eight 'Anti-Trafficking Champions' from judiciary, police, survivors community and grassroot workers who were a part of combating trafficking and supporting victims. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Mahesh M. Bhagwat highlighted the importance of victim-centric policing, timely intervention and sustained rehabilitation, noting that collaborative models like that of Prajwala and law enforcement agencies can serve as a blueprint for effective anti-trafficking responses nationwide. Women and Child Development department secretary Anitha Ramachandran emphasised the importance of empowering Anganwadi workers with the knowledge and tools to identify trafficking indicators while Divya Devarajan, chief executive officer of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, spoke about the sensitisation of Village Organisation Assistants on human trafficking, enabling grassroots-level vigilance and early identification of vulnerable individuals. Venkata Narsamma, joint director of Samagra Shiksha, highlighted the State-wide initiative to train school teachers in identifying and responding to trafficking risks among children.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
192 EWS candidates selected for RTE admission in Eng schools
1 2 Jamshedpur: The lottery for the second list of admission of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates to private English medium schools under Right To Education (RTE) Act 2009 was held at the DC office on Friday. Notably, 697 applications were received for the second list of admission out of which 192 candidates for the same number of vacant seats were selected through the lottery. Besides, 19 such schools, for which the applications received were less than the vacant seats, were also included in the list. The login ID and password have been issued to all the schools with a direction to finish the online admission of candidates in the next five days. The school representatives including the principals, parents, and Abhivavak Sangh members participated in the lottery.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Govt brings back fail system in classes V & VIII
1 2 Bhubaneswar: State govt on Wednesday reintroduced the fail system in the annual examination of classes V and VIII from the current academic session. A notification issued by the school and mass education department said students of classes V and VIII will appear for the annual examination at the end of every academic year. If they fail, they will receive remedial instruction and get a chance to clear a re-examination within two months. "If a child fails in the examination, he shall be given additional instruction and granted opportunity for re-examination within a period of two months from the declaration of the results," the notification read. As per the notification, if a student fails in the re-examination, he/she will be held back in the same class. However, no student can be expelled from school until the completion of elementary education. State govt made amendments to the Odisha Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010, in line with a 2019 central change to the Right To Education (RTE) Act, which allowed states to assess and retain students in certain grades. The new rule, 14A, has been inserted to specify the manner and conditions under which a student may be held back. The amendment is a departure from the existing 'no-detention' policy, which was one of the key features of the RTE Act, 2009, to check the dropout of children who fail in examinations. The decision sparked mixed reactions from educators and parents. "The move will push students and schools to take academic activities more seriously, especially in foundational years. But there is also a need for strong support and proper teaching in schools to ensure no child is left behind," said Sabitri Sethi, parent of a Class VIII student. Some parents, however, are apprehensive about the pressure the move might create. "Failing was abolished from school as it was imposing extra pressure on children. If a student fails twice, it could damage his/her confidence. The focus should be on learning outcomes and not on pass or fail," said Rajendra Patra, another parent. Officials directed all district collectors, block education officers (BEOs) and school administrators to make necessary preparations for the implementation of the new rules from the current academic session. The notification will be published in the Odisha Gazette and made available on the department's website, official sources said.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
SFI demands release of fund under RTE Act
Members of Students Federation of India demanding the Union government to release fund under Right To Education (RTE) Act staged a protest outside Chief Education Officer premises here on Tuesday. J. Dilan Justin, SFI urban district president, said that due to the Union government's negligence, thousands of students' future, waiting for RTE admission, was at a crossroads. As it was already one month into this academic year, the delay in admitting students would only spoil their education, he added. Further, the students who were admitted already under RTE had been harassed by the school administration to pay the fees, he alleged. Condemning the State government for failing to assure the private schools about the release of RTE funds, Mr. Justin said that it was the duty of the government to protect its students from such unprecedented issues. The Tamil Nadu government should expedite the process to procure fund from the Union government. Until then, the private schools be instructed not to disturb the existing students, the protesters demanded. As the protesters tried to proceed into the CEO office, the police detained them and lodged them in a private hall till evening.
News18
08-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
'No Violation Of Children's Right To Education': Allahabad HC Upholds UP School Pairing Policy
Last Updated: The bench of Justice Pankaj Bhatia held that the move to merge low-enrolment government primary and upper primary schools does not violate the Right To Education. The Allahabad High Court on July 7, 2025, upheld the Uttar Pradesh government's school pairing policy introduced as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Dismissing two writ petitions filed by more than 50 students challenging the policy, the bench of Justice Pankaj Bhatia held that the move to merge low-enrolment government primary and upper primary schools does not violate the constitutional guarantee under Article 21-A or the mandates of the Right to Education (RTE) Act and associated rules. Students from Gautam Buddha Nagar district filed the petitions through their parents and guardians, who argued that the government order dated 16 June 2025, and a follow-up communication dated 24 June 2025 violated their children's right to elementary education by mandating the merger of 105 government schools. The petitioners contended that the pairing would force young children to walk more than one kilometre to school, exceeding the prescribed limits under Rule 4 of the Uttar Pradesh RTE Rules, 2011 (UP Rules), and would result in school closures in their villages. Counsel for the petitioners in one petition, Dr LP Mishra, submitted that the merger policy effectively deprived children of their right to access education in a neighborhood school as required under Section 6 of the RTE Act. Referring to Rule 4(a) of the UP Rules, he argued that the state government has to establish a school in a habitation that has no school within a distance of one kilometre and has a population of at least 300. Advocate Gaurav Mehrotra, appearing for other petitioners, argued that the executive instructions are neither a government order nor come within the definition of law as prescribed under Article 13. 'The fundamental rights cannot be amended except in accordance with law and certainly not through the executive instructions," he stated. On the other hand, the State, represented by Additional Advocate General Anuj Kudesia, defended the policy as a rational and necessary reform to optimize educational infrastructure and teacher resources. It was pointed out that 58 schools had zero students and many others had minimal enrolment, leading to underutilized buildings and skewed pupil-teacher ratios. The policy, the state argued, was not a closure of schools but a rationalization exercise aligned with NEP 2020 goals. 'Even after the paring, the state government is bound to ensure that free and compulsory education is provided to all children," he emphasised. He further argued that as per the Rules of Business, the Additional Chief Secretary had full authority to issue the order, and therefore the petitioner's claim that it was merely an executive instruction and not a valid government order should be rejected. He further highlighted that the petitioners could not demonstrate by any verified data that the implementation of the policy of pairing would in effect result in negating the rights that are vested by Article 21-A of the Constitution. The single judge bench rejected the plea that the pairing policy was arbitrary or violative of children's rights. Court noted that the policy explicitly provided for exceptions in cases where a child may need to travel beyond the 1 km or 3 km distance, and that Rule 4(2) of the UP RTE Rules allows such relaxation if transportation or other facilities are provided. Court pointed out that the NEP, 2020, authorises and prescribes for consolidation of small schools which have been rendered economically suboptimal and operationally complex to run and are posing a systematic challenge to governance and management. Court also highlighted that although the government's decision was nothing but an action in furtherance of the NEP, 2020, the petitioners had not made any challenge to the policy itself. Moreover, court noted that the approximate population of the State is 24 crore and if the petitioners' argument that for every 300 inhabitants one school should be available within 1 Km range, the state will have to provide for about 8 lakh schools; which would render the entire Rule 4(1)(a) to an absurdity. Court added that on a conjoint reading of Rule 4(1), Rule 4(2) and Rule 4(3), it is the duty of the state government to establish schools as far as practical at a distance which is closest to the habitation, and if the same is not possible, to ensure that the children are provided facilities such as transportation. Therefore, finding no material to the contrary in respect of guidelines of pairing in the NEP, 2020, the high court dismissed the petitions. However, court directed that 'it will be the duty of the Basic Shiksha Adhikari to ensure that no child is left out for being educated and all steps as are necessary shall be taken… in accordance with law". Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : National Education Policy (NEP) Right to Education (RTE) Act view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 08, 2025, 16:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
