In a stern warning issued on Saturday, March 23, the Odisha state government cautioned private schools against imposing any fees on students enrolled under the economically weaker section (EWS) quota, in compliance with the Right to Education (RTE) regulations.
The directive, as reported by The New Indian Express, emphasised that legal repercussions would follow any violation of the prescribed guidelines.
The Department of School and Mass Education (SME) unequivocally stated, “The students will be enrolled in the private schools allotted to them free of cost. Any fee charged for their enrolment will invite appropriate legal action.”
Govt extends helping hand
According to official figures released by the SME department, a total of 17,235 students have been selected in the initial round of a lottery system for admission to 25 percent of seats reserved in private schools under the EWS quota.
To facilitate the admission process, the department has also launched a dedicated helpline number, 1800-3456-722, aimed at assisting students seeking admission to reserved seats under the RTE Act.
Officials further disclosed that applications were solicited for student admissions to 41,333 seats allocated under the EWS quota across 3,331 private schools offering education in both Odia and English mediums.
During the initial phase of the selection process, which spanned from February 22 to March 20, a total of 30,423 applications were submitted online via the RTE Paradarshi portal. Subsequently, 17,235 applicants were chosen through a lottery system.
In response to concerns raised by the parents’ association regarding alleged irregularities in the free admission of students under the EWS quota, authorities have been urged to investigate the reduced number of available seats in certain private schools for student enrolment under the RTE regulations.
What does the RTE state?
Section 12 (1)(c) of the RTE Act mandates private schools to reserve 25 percent of their seats for children hailing from economically weaker sections (EWS) within the surrounding areas. Within this quota, 10 percent is designated for students from scheduled caste and scheduled tribe backgrounds, 10 percent for children belonging to below-poverty line (BPL) families, and five percent for homeless children. Furthermore, students are required to submit their applications through the RTE Paradarshi portal.
Sources have indicated that applications for the second round of admissions to private schools under the EWS quota are anticipated to be accepted starting from April 6.
