Tamil Nadu: RTE admissions to kick off on October 6

CHENNAI: The state government on Thursday announced that the admission process under the Right to Education (RTE) for the current academic year will commence from October 6 (Monday), following the release of funds from the Centre.

B Chandra Mohan, secretary, School Education department, said the decision follows the release of the state's due share of the RTE reimbursements by the union government, in compliance with the directive of the Madras High Court and subsequent proceedings before the Supreme Court.

The Integrated Finance Division of NITI Aayog will release Rs 538.39 crore, which comprises the full central share amount of Rs 362.80 crore for 2024-25 and the share for 2025-26, Rs 175.59 crore (50 per cent of the total central share to be released in two instalments).

About the delay of the RTE admissions in Tamil Nadu, the official said the High Court had directed the Centre to consider delinking RTE reimbursements from the Samagra Shiksha scheme, ensuring that the release of funds is not conditional upon the adoption of the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) or the signing of any MoU under the Prime Minister SHRI Schools scheme.

"Following this, Tamil Nadu filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court, seeking a binding direction to the Union Government to release its share of funds," he said, adding notice was issued by the Supreme Court to the Centre, which has now released the funds, thereby enabling the commencement of RTE admissions for 2025–26 across Tamil Nadu.

Chandra Mohan said the RTE admission process will start from October 6 and end on October 17. The schools will upload the total number of seats in the entry-level class as of September 30. "On October 8, 25 per cent of RTE seats will be identified and made visible through school login," he said, adding, "publication of the final list of eligible children will be on October 14."

If applications exceed 25 per cent, random selection will be conducted on October 16, and the selected names will be displayed immediately on the last day of the process (October 17). The tagging of selected children (through random selection) will be uploaded to the EMIS portal.

"Under the guidance of Chief Minister MK Stalin, the State Government fought the case up to the High Court and Supreme Court and successfully secured the RTE funds due to us," said Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, on his social media, claiming that the Centre had been acting in a manner that hindered the implementation of the Right to Education Act, 2009.

Tamil Nadu Private Nursery, Primary, Matriculation, Higher Secondary Schools Association's secretary KR Nandhakumar, hailing the state government's efforts to bring RTE admissions back, said that children lost around three months of the academic year. He added that though there was no plan currently, the association and authorities will discuss and come up with a solution to make up for the lost months.

General secretary of State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN), PB Prince Gajendra Babu said, "It is very difficult to understand how the child already admitted in a school will be allowed to apply again under RTE. More clarity is required on the norms of disadvantaged and economically poor who have already been admitted and paid the required fee, be readmitted under the RTE."