More than 50% of RTE seats remain vacant in Mysuru district

MYSURU: The reduction in the number of Right To Education (RTE) seats in the district was met with righteous outrage by activists, who opined that such a move would deprive children from the underprivileged sections of society from obtaining quality education. However, data obtained from the department of public instruction (DPI), Mysuru indicates that all the brouhaha over the reduction in the number of RTE seats may well have been in vain. Across education blocks in Mysuru district, more than 50% of the RTE seats are yet to be filled, prompting DPI to announce that two additional rounds will be conducted to fill all the vacancies.
In all, 969 seats were available under RTE quota across the district, 675 were allotted during the counseling process. However, of those students who were allotted seats, only 469 have been admitted to schools, thereby taking the total number of vacant seats to 500.
Of the 500 seats that are awaiting allotment under RTE quota, 241 are in schools in Mysuru city. Of the total 688 seats set aside for RTE students in the urban schools, 596 were allotted during counseling. However, only 427 students who opted for the seats appeared for admissions.

Parents cited the conspicuous absence of some of the city’s best schools from the RTE list for Mysuru for the underwhelming response. “Some of the elite schools have not offered any seats under RTE. Parents are not keen on admitting their children to schools that are not very reputed just because seats are offered under RTE quota,” said Purushottam BL, a Krishnapurthypuram resident. Purushottam participated in the protest against the proposed RTE amendment in front of a block education office.
Deputy director of public instruction, Mysuru Panduranga confirmed to TOI that two more rounds of counseling would be conducted to fill the vacant seats. “We are hoping that all these seats will be allotted by the end of the two additional rounds,” said Panduranga.