After receiving complaints of ineligible students being provided admission under Right to Education (RTE) Act in some schools, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has asked the education department to take necessary actions in such cases. 

This is not the first time the commission received complaints about anomalies in admissions to schools under the RTE Act. In the latest instance, the commission has received three complaints of ineligible registrations from Rishikesh in which directions have been given to the officials to take necessary steps.

In a complaint letter which was submitted to the commission, a private school in Rishikesh was accused of providing admission to the children on seats reserved under the RTE Act though these children did not meet the eligibility criteria. The complainant claimed that the parents of these children fabricated certificates and submitted these in the school to enable their children secure admission on seats reserved under the RTE Act quota.

The school administration also let the students study in the school without any objection.

The SCPCR chairperson Usha Negi said, “Admissions of ineligible students under RTE are a very serious issue.

We have given instructions to the Rishikesh Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) to investigate the matter properly and submit a report to the commission within 15 days.

The commission has been very clear from the start that no organisation is permitted to use or take benefits of RTE Act as these seats are meant to grant education to the deprived students.” It is pertinent to mention that RTE Act enables students belonging to a deprived background and lower caste to study for free from class I to VIII.