Draw of lots held for RTE admissions

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Education Department held the draw of lots for admissions on 25 per cent seats reserved under the Right to Education Act (RTE) in English Schools for economically and socially backward students. The registration process for schools was completed from January 23 to February 10, with a total of 546 schools registering and 4,047 seats being fixed for admissions, down from 575 schools and 4,301 seats last year.

This year, 20,779 applications were received for admissions, resulting in a tough competition for the available seats. The draw of lots was held on Wednesday to select students for the reserved 25 per cent seats.

The directorate of education is set to send messages to parents on April 12, as per the reservation of seats. Parents of selected students will have to verify their documents with a verification committee at Panchayat Samiti or Municipal Corporation between April 13 and 25, and confirm their child's admission by April 30.

However, it was found that 444 parents submitted multiple applications, with 296 applications being declared invalid due to duplication. After scrutiny, it was discovered that 148 application forms had the same date of birth, despite the children being different.

Parents are expressing concern over whether their children will get admission due to the large number of applications submitted. The admission process, which usually begins in January, was delayed this year and started in March. With five students vying for every one seat, it remains to be seen how many students will ultimately secure admission under the RTE. Now, the draw of lots is picked on the State level while before Covid, it was on district level.