Karnataka: 90% of RTE seats are likely to go vacant in Dakshina Kannada district

MANGALURU: Once in great demand, Right to Education Act (RTE) seats currently have no takers in Dakshina Kannada. The data from the department of public instruction says it all. Out of the 440 seats available, only 42 have been taken to date, and the rest are likely to go vacant. Last academic year, 45 seats were filled out of a total of 479, and the rest went vacant.
The main reason for the seats going vacant every year is that parents have no interest in taking up admissions under RTE, especially in rural areas. The second reason is that changes in criteria have been made to avail RTE seats in 2019. The RTE Act reserves 25% of the seats at private schools for children from economically poor backgrounds. When RTE was implemented, the district had 1,645 seats available under the quota.
A caseworker for RTE in DK shared that this academic year (2023–24), 440 seats are available in 12 unaided and 70 aided schools in the district. So far, only 42 seats have been filled.
In the first allotment round, 45 candidates were selected, and in the second round, a total of 15 candidates were selected. Out of which, in the first round, 33 candidates were admitted, and in the second round, nine took admissions in various schools in the district. In the last academic year (2022–23), 479 seats were available in 94 schools, including 13 unaided ones. A total of 38 and seven students were admitted in the first and second rounds, respectively. “This academic year, the number of RTE seat takers is low compared to last year,” the caseworker pointed out.
Interestingly, Belthangady, Puttur, and Sullia BEO limits have no admissions under RTE this year as well. In Mangaluru South, 28 students have enrolled in schools this year as against 30 last academic year. Whereas 13 students have taken admitted this year in Mangaluru north BEO limits. Mangaluru south and north BEO limits have the highest RTE seats, followed by Bantwal.
Dakshina Kannada DDPI DR Naik told TOI that there is interest among parents in urban areas in seeking admissions under RTE, but no such enthusiasm among their counterparts in rural areas. “There was heavy competition for seats when RTE was implemented, and the interest died down after amendments were made in 2019,” he added.