Pune: RTE Parents Protest One-Kilometre Rule Outside Pune Commissioner’s Office; Demand Immediate Withdrawal of Government Order
Pune, 4th March 2026: Raising slogans outside the Commissioner’s office, parents of children eligible under the Right to Education (RTE) Act staged a protest against the newly introduced one-kilometre distance criterion for admissions to private schools. The demonstration, led by the Aam Aadmi Party, demanded the immediate cancellation of the government resolution imposing the restriction.
A memorandum was submitted to Education Director Sharad Gosavi, urging the authorities to revoke the decision without delay.
Under the revised condition, applicable to the ongoing admission process that concludes on March 10, 2026, children will be eligible for admission only in schools located within a one-kilometre radius of their residence. Protesters alleged that this restriction has severely limited school options for many families, effectively denying children access to suitable institutions.
As per existing provisions under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, priority is given to students residing within one kilometre under the 25% reserved quota in private schools. Thereafter, students within a three-kilometre radius are eligible to fill the remaining seats. Parents argued that the new government order alters this framework, creating widespread confusion and anger.
They expressed concern that the change could deprive a large number of underprivileged children of admission to private schools.
Drop in Applications Sparks Concern:
According to protesters, 3,05,151 applications were received statewide for the 2025–26 academic year. However, this year only 1,28,000 applications have been submitted so far. They attributed the sharp decline to the impact of the newly imposed condition.
“Will the Education Minister wake up now?” demonstrators questioned, alleging that the decision has discouraged eligible families from applying.
Private schools are mandated to reserve 25% of their seats for children from disadvantaged sections. In practice, nearly 20% of these seats reportedly remain vacant each year. The ‘AAP Parents Association’ claimed that the one-kilometre cap could further reduce seat occupancy, filling only about 65% of the total intake capacity while leaving nearly 35% of seats vacant.
Rural Parents Hit Harder:
Rahul Tiwari and Shrikant Bhise stated that parents in rural areas are facing greater hardship due to the decision. In many villages, no eligible private school exists within a one-kilometre radius, making it difficult for families to even complete the application process.
Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Mukund Kirdat alleged that the last-minute decision has caused significant inconvenience to parents who were awaiting the admission process. He claimed the change appeared deliberate, pointing out that large private schools are typically located in suburban areas with fewer low-income settlements, while central areas with denser economically weaker populations have fewer schools.
Sudarshan Jagdale questioned why the state government appeared reluctant to act decisively when 60% of the funding for the scheme is provided by the central government.
Among those present at the protest were Mukund Kirdat, Sudarshan Jagdale, Sagar Jha, Shrikant Bhise, Dhananjay Benkar, Aamir Tamboli, Satish Yadav, Nikhil Khandare, Advocate Pradeep Mane, Advocate Gunaji More, Subhash Karande, Umesh Dixit, Advocate Mahadev Kapre, Shankar Thorat, Rahul Tiwari, Ganesh Khengre, Sachin Gaikwad, Arun Kedari, Sandesh Divekar and Adarsh Gaikwad.
The protesting parents reiterated that unless the one-kilometre rule is withdrawn immediately, many deserving children may be left without access to quality education under the RTE framework.
