Days after the state directed schools run by trusts whose minority status approval is kept in abeyance to participate in RTE admissions, the number of available schools has increased slightly from 8,651 to 8,699 in Maharashtra.
This has led to an increase in the number of available seats too – from 1,12,772 to 1,14,732 in total. With recently announced extension in application deadline following court directed relaxation in distance restriction, these additional seats are expected to provide further relief.
Minority-run institutions are exempt from the RTE Act, which mandates that private unaided schools reserve 25 per cent of seats for students from economically weaker and disadvantaged backgrounds. However, in Maharashtra, the minority status granted to schools run by 20 trusts has been kept in abeyance following the controversy that emerged after the death of former minority development minister Ajit Pawar.
As a result, the Directorate of Primary Education had directed district-level officers to identify schools run by these trusts in question and include them in the RTE admission portal if they had
earlier been excluded on account of minority status. Officials had said that the move is likely to increase the number of seats available under the RTE admission process, which is currently underway in Maharashtra. “Accordingly, new seats are added to the system with inclusion of additional schools for RTE admissions,” said an official, further adding that with relaxed criteria on distance, parents will have more schools to select from.
Earlier this week, Maharashtra School Education Department has relaxed the distance restriction for school selection under admissions conducted through RTE, allowing parents to apply to schools beyond a one-km radius. The decision was based on the observation by the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench that children cannot be denied admission to schools located beyond 1 km if no eligible institution is available nearby.
Following the change, the deadline to submit applications for RTE admissions across Maharashtra has been extended to March 25. Already, more than 2.4 lakh applications have been submitted, indicating great demand for RTE admissions in Maharashtra, where the number of available seats is less than half the number of applicants.
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Earlier this year, the state had introduced a significant change to the admission process by limiting school selection to within 1 km of the student’s registered residential address, replacing the previous provision that allowed parents to choose schools within a 3 km radius or beyond.
The rule drew objections from parent organisations, who approached the Bombay High Court challenging the restriction. On March 9, the court stayed the 1 km limit, observing that the rule could unfairly restrict children’s access to schools where no eligible institution existed nearby.
Following the court directives, the RTE admission process is now revised. Director of Primary Education, Sharad Gosavi said, “Parents have five more days to resubmit their applications as per the revised process. Even those who had already completed submission of form can re-apply. Such a facility is made available on the admission portal.” Gosavi highlighted that distance restriction on selection of schools is withdrawn following the court order. “However, in allotment of seats, the admission process has always followed a system where first preference is given to schools available within 1 km from the registered address of the applicant. If no school is available within
1 km radius, schools from within 3 km radius are considered. And schools beyond 3 km radius are considered only as a last resort which is required.”
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Based on past experience of the RTE admissions’ office, only about 2–3 percent of candidates fall into the category where the system has to allot a school beyond a 3 km radius. Most admissions are secured in schools located within 1 km of the applicant’s registered address, while only around 15–17 percent of applicants are allotted schools situated between 1 and 3 km.
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise
Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.
Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:
Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).
Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.
Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).
Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.
Credentials & Trustworthiness
Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized.
Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families.
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