Chandigarh, Feb 10: The Punjab government has moved to fully implement the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, guaranteeing a 25 per cent reservation for children from economically weaker sections (EWS) in all schools starting next session.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced that the state is prepared to launch online portals to streamline the admission process. This development follows a stern observation by the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the prolonged delay in enforcing the statutory mandate. The court has directed the state to ensure compliance within three weeks, setting a deadline to provide quality education to eligible children at the entry level.
“The Education Department was ready with online portals to ensure implementation of the RTE Act, 2009, in the state from the next academic session in all schools,” Bains directly said while discussing the government’s preparedness.
Legal experts noted that while the RTE Act became national law in 2010, Punjab’s progress was hindered by local rules that forced children to seek government school NOCs before applying to private institutions. The High Court previously declared these restrictions unconstitutional, noting that such hurdles effectively blocked EWS students from private education. Advocates Viren Sibal and Satyam Sharda mentioned that Justice Kuldip Tiwari criticized the “indifferent and lacklustre approach” of the authorities in previous hearings.
The court noted that approximately 75,000 children are entitled to these reserved seats annually. Failure to implement the quota earlier has allegedly deprived over 11 lakh children of their rights over the last 15 years. The matter is scheduled for a follow-up hearing on March 10, 2026, to monitor the admission status of current applicants.
