Puducherry yet to admit any student under RTE quota

PUDUCHERRY: The Union territory of Puducherry has not admitted even a single student to any private or government-aided schools under 25% reservation for children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections of the society as per the Right of children to free and compulsory education (RTE) Act.
The RTE Act came into force on April 1, 2010, after the Rajya Sabha passed it in July 2009 and the Lok Sabha in August 2009. The Puducherry government, however, passed a notification in this regard only in 2011 to implement the Act following a direction from Madras high court. But the Act continues to remain on paper.
The government failed to issue any order or circular directing the private and government-aided schools to extend 25% free seats for students from disadvantaged sections of the society. Though the government issued orders and circulars directing the schools to implement a few other provisions of the Act, it failed to monitor its implementation.
"The deadline for fulfilling various components like extending 25% reservation, ensuring functional toilets, clean drinking water, playground, boundary wall, library and school management committee expired on March 31, 2013. Most of the state governments had failed to meet the deadline. However, many states commenced efforts and extended free seats for children from disadvantaged sections of the society, but Puducherry has not made even a single admission so far," said director Holistic Approach for People's Empowerment (Hope) P Joseph Victor Raj.
Close to 1.5 lakh students have enrolled in 286 private schools and 33 governmentaided schools in the territory and roughly 37,000 students (25%) will be benefitted if the RTE Act is implemented in the territory.
An official of the school education department said the government, which faces severe financial constraints, is presently not in a position to direct the private and unaided schools to allot 25% of seats for students from disadvantaged sections and bear their educational expenses.