Over 26,000 RTE Seats Remain Vacant in Maharashtra Due to Admission Delays

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Pune, 15th October 2024: The admission process under the Right to Education (RTE) Act has revealed that over 26,000 seats remained vacant across the state this year. This shortfall is attributed to delays in the admission process, resulting from court proceedings sparked by changes in RTE admission rules introduced by the Education Department.

Under the RTE Act, 25% of seats in private schools are reserved for students from underprivileged and socio-economically weaker sections. This year, the Education Department altered the admission rules, prioritizing government and private-aided schools over private unaided institutions. Admission to private unaided schools was permitted only when no other schools were available, which led to confusion and disruptions in the admission process.

The Education Department’s decision was legally challenged, stalling the process. However, the court ruled that the changes to the RTE admissions were unconstitutional. As a result, the department had to revert to the previous admission procedure. Due to the delay, many students who were waiting for RTE admissions opted to enroll in other schools.

A total of 2,42,516 students registered for 1,05,238 available seats in 9,217 private schools across the state. Following the selection of students through an online lottery system, three rounds were held to allocate vacant seats to waitlisted students. As a result, 78,385 students secured admission, but 26,853 seats remained vacant. While around 25,000 seats remain vacant annually, the number has risen this year due to the delays in admissions.

Sharad Gosavi, Director of Primary Education, acknowledged that the delays contributed to the higher vacancy rate, as some students enrolled elsewhere. To address this issue, the department plans to initiate the admission process in January 2025, aiming to complete it on time and provide more students with opportunities for admission.