Nagpur: The Nagpur district is witnessing a concerning trend regarding admissions under the Right To Education (RTE) quota. Despite a surge in applications for free education, only 60% of the selected students have confirmed their admissions so far. This report highlights the reasons behind this skewed applications-admissions ratio and sheds light on fraudulent practices employed by some parents to secure admissions in preferred schools.
Out of the 6,500 students selected for RTE admissions in Nagpur district, less than 4,000 have confirmed their seats. The deadline for confirming admissions is May 22, and officials are hopeful that more seats will be filled by then. However, the current figures indicate a significant number of vacant seats.
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Tuesday 18 Feb. 2025
The skewed applications-admissions ratio is attributed to the preference for top CBSE schools among parents. While the RTE quota is available in only a few CBSE schools in Nagpur, these schools attract a large number of applicants. This surge in applications can be attributed to parents’ desire for free education in renowned CBSE institutions.
Dropouts and Fraudulent Practices: When their children are not selected in the RTE lottery, some parents opt to drop out of the entire admission process. In order to secure admission in preferred CBSE schools, certain parents have been resorting to fraudulent means. These include forging income and caste certificates and obtaining fake residential proofs.
Although the Chairman of RTE Action Committee Shahid Sharif has repeatedly exposed fraudulent applicants, the practice continues to persist each year. The Education Department has the authority to file FIRs against parents involved in such practices, but officials tend to disqualify applications instead. Some parents claim innocence, stating that they were unaware of the fraudulent activities conducted by agents they hired to obtain certificates.
Shahid Sharif advocated for stronger action against both fraudulent parents and complicit officials. He emphasizes the need to address these fraudulent practices to ensure that the RTE quota is utilized effectively and deserving students have access to quality education.
The current situation in Nagpur district highlights the challenge of filling RTE quota seats despite an overwhelming number of applications. The preference for CBSE schools and the use of fraudulent means to secure admissions have contributed to the high number of vacancies. Urgent action is required to curb these fraudulent practices and ensure that deserving students can benefit from the RTE quota in Nagpur district.
