Nitish affirms strict implementation of RTE in Bihar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today underscored his government's commitment to strictly enforce implementation of the Right To Education (RTE) Act in state particularly in terms of admission of the wards of poor families in 25 per cent seats in public schools.
Making an intervention in the state legislative assembly during Education Minister Ashok Chaudhary's reply to a starred question by a RJD MLA Bhai Virendra with regard to implementation of the RTE Act by public schools, he said the state government was committed to enforce strict implementation of a provision under the central act under which the public schools must give admission on 25 per cent seats to wards of poor families.

A detailed probe will be carried out to find out whether the public schools were implementing the norm or not, Kumar said.
Virendra, the RJD MLA from Maner in Patna district, wanted to know from the Education Minister as to what stringent measures his department proposed to take against those public schools not adhering to the guideline on reservation in the state capital and elsewhere in Bihar.
The RJD MLA further noted that most public schools were flouting the RTE Act norms on reserved admission on one pretext or other.
The Education Minister sought to skirt a direct reply to the question saying that his department was in the process of compiling data about enrolment status on 25 per cent seats meant for students of poor socio-economic backward and action will be taken against those public schools not adhering to the RTE Act norms.

He said that those public schools with minority status can not be forced to implement the RTE Act.