RTE admission rules allow self certification of papers

Nagpur: State education department has issued guidelines related to school admissions under the free Right to Education (RTE) Act quota seats, aligning the process with multiple restrictions in place due to ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The biggest change is that verification of documents will now be done at school level, as members of RTE verification committee may not be able to visit parents’ residence. Also, parents will have to submit an undertaking regarding authenticity of submitted documents.
Across the state, 1,00,920 students have been allotted RTE seats while another 75,465 are on the waiting list.
Shahid Sharif, a member of the RTE verification committee and an education activist, said people who forge documents must now be very careful. “In their undertaking, parents are also being asked to admit they are aware about the possibility of criminal charges if documents are found to be fake later,” said Sharif.
Though initial verification will be done at school for now, it does not mean that the matter ends there. “All documents are open for scrutiny since public money is involved here,” said Sharif. “So, if a year later it is found that parents had submitted fake documents then not only will a criminal case be filed against him/her, but even the child’s admission will be cancelled,” said Sharif.
Under new guidelines schools have to call parents to the school for completing the paperwork. This, of course, will be done after taking requisite permission from the local competent authority. The guidelines say parents have to give appointment to parents as crowding cannot be allowed. At least three chances have to given to a parent to come and complete formalities. If the parent is currently stuck in a containment zone or a different city or state, from where travel is not possible, then such appointment date has to be adjusted accordingly.