The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has issued a notice on Wednesday to the Maharashtra government’s education department, requesting a response by May 8 regarding a PIL challenging the new rules of the Right to Education (RTE). These regulations have complicated admissions to English medium private schools under RTE, sparking concerns about unequal access to education for disadvantaged students.
The changes, disputed by activists and organizations, pose a risk of segregating students based on economic status, leading to disparities in educational opportunities, according to the PIL. Under the RTE rule, 25% of reserved seats are designated for students from socially and educationally backward sections.
However, the recent changes prioritize admissions in aided, government, or local self-government schools within a 1km radius of the student’s residence. If these options are unavailable, admissions are directed towards self-financed private schools. Advocates Jayna Kothari, Deepak Chatap, Payal Gaikwad, along with some education rights organizations and activists, have filed a Public Interest Litigation against these changes.
The petitioners argue that the modifications affecting admission processes in English medium schools under RTE will adversely impact students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Similar attempts by other states, such as Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, were nullified by High Courts, as private unaided schools are not permitted the benefit under the RTE Act of 2009.