Parliament Question: RTE Admission

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 3653 ANSWERED ON 10/08/2026 RTE Admission 3653. Dr. D Ravi Kumar: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Central Government has taken note of the reports that RTE admissions in Tamil Nadu private schools have been affected due to delay/withholding of Central reimbursement support under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether it is a fact that thousands of economically weaker section children in Tamil Nadu depend on the 25 per cent RTE quota in private schools for access to education, if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of RTE reimbursement funds due, released and pending to Tamil Nadu during 2023-24, 2024- 25 and 2025-26; and (d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure uninterrupted admissions and timely reimbursement to private schools under the RTE Act? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (d): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 mandates the appropriate Government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of the age 6 to 14 years in a neighborhood school. Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act mandates unaided private schools to reserve at least 25% of seats at the entry level for children belonging to economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups from the neighbourhood and provide them free education and later claim reimbursement from the respective State/Union Territory Government/Administration. The amount so reimbursed to the private schools can be claimed under the Samagra Shiksha scheme by the State/Union Territory Government/Administration. As per the RTE Act, 2009, State/Union Territory Government/Administration, including the State Government of Tamil Nadu is the ‘appropriate government’ for the implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act.Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance is provided to States/Union Territories for various interventions including ‘RTE Entitlements’ component. Under the scheme lump sum funds are released to the States/Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu and further distribution of funds component-wise, including ‘RTE Entitlements’ component, is done by the respective States/Union Territories including Tamil Nadu. In respect of Tamil Nadu, the details of amount approved for reimbursement towards implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act for the financial years 2023– 24 to 2025–26 are as follows and admissible amount has been released: - (Rs. in lakh) Financial Year Amount approved for reimbursement towards implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of RTE Act, 2009 2023-24 21091.79 2024-25 25617.15 2025-26 31498.01 ****