RTE Act: HC warns Principal Secy to file counter urgently

The Madras High Court today warned the Principal Secretary, Education Department that it is giving last opportunity to file counter to a petition seeking implementation of the Right to Education Act in letter and spirit, including the school managements of CBSE.
The First Bench Comprising Acting Chief justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sundresh, before whom a petition filed by one A Narayanan came up for hearing said, "as a last opportunity one week time is granted to the state to file its counter".
In his PIL, Narayanan said the GO issued by the School Education Department on April 1, 2013, stipulated cut off dates for issue and submission of application forms for filling up 25 per cent of seats as per the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

The GO only permits issue and submission of forms from May 3 to May 9 and submission should be made before 5 PM on May 9 every year. This leaves a time period of only seven days for the parents to fill up and submit forms to the concerned schools, of which two days will be weekends, he submitted.
"It is effectively providing only five days for the poor, underprivileged and largely uneducated parents are left to accomplish the task", he submitted.
Other state governments effectively implementated the RTE Act whereas the Tamil Nadu government was not done so far.

Because of the state government's GO, only 69 per cent of the eligible children in Tamil Nadu lost their opportunity to avail the constitutional provision of studying in unaided schools in the academic year 2013-14.
He pleaded for speedy adjudication of his petition as the next academic year was round the corner and admission under RTE Act will continue to be regulated by the GO.