BENGALURU, May 8, 2016
Department has not been able to weed out duplicate applications
Despite introducing a slew of measures to “tighten” the verification system, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has still not been able to weed out duplicate applications for the Right to Education (RTE) Act quota seats in unaided schools.
The online process of RTE quota seat allotment this year was not free of glitches. The draw of lots for allotment of 1.15 lakh seats (LKG and class 1) across the State was held on Saturday.
Of the 2.74 lakh applications submitted, nearly 1.87 lakh were categorised as eligible for the draw of lots. Nearly 87,000 applications were rejected owing to duplication and errors in either Aadhaar or Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) details. For the first time, the department this year had asked respective agencies to verify the income, caste, Aadhaar and EPIC details of the applicants. Prior to this, DPI officials used to verify these documents.
In spite of taking these steps, the department said there are at least 12,000 duplicate applications.
Nearly 7,000 parents whose applications were initially approved by the department got SMSs two days ago stating that their applications were not valid and that they had only a few hours to rectify them.
Sources in the department, who acknowledged that there was “scope for improvement” in the entire system, said the applications of these 7,000 parents were considered valid provisionally and the parents would have to update their details if a seat is allotted to their child.
Although the draw of lots was conducted on Saturday, parents had not got the confirmation SMS from the department until late on Saturday night.
Another chance
Meanwhile, parents who failed to apply for RTE quota seats or whose children failed to obtain seats under the quota can apply for around 8,000 seats that have received no applications.
The 8,000 seats are in 300 schools which received no application at all and in 1,342 schools which received fewer applications than the number of seats.
Ajay Seth, Principal Secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education, said that fresh applications could be submitted for these seats but in their respective municipal ward only.
Mr. Seth said that helpline would be available for parents to complain if private schools demand fee for children who obtain seats under the quota.
Fact sheet
Nearly 2.74 lakh applications were submitted
Of them, nearly 1.87 lakh were categorised as eligible for the draw of lots
87,000 applications rejected owing to duplication and errors in either Aadhaar or EPIC details