Skip to main content

Less than one-fourth reserved seats for poor children in UP private schools filled up

By A Representative
Under Section 12 (1) (c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, private schools in Uttar Pradesh should be keeping 25% or 2,13,414 seats reserved for disadvantaged groups and weaker sections. However, fresh information suggests that just about 59,656 seats – or 22% of the allocated seats for weaker sections – have been made available for them in the state.
Citing district-wise figures, a statement by the Socialist Party (India), which is led, among others, by well-known Magsaysay award winning social activist, Sandeep Pandey, offers instances where the parents of the children from backward background are unable to get necessary documents from the government for admission in the 25% reserved quota.
“For example, the admission of Halima, daughter Yasser Arafat, in the academic session 2019-20 was ordered at Pioneer Montessori Junior High School, Yahyaganj, but the letter from the Basic Education Officer's office was not released”, the statement complains.
The statement demands that the poorer children who have been studying in private schools, as also those of the government schools, should be provided with mobile phones in order to ensure that they are not left out in the current drive for online schooling amidst Covid-19 crisis.

Comments

TRENDING

The Nazia Elahi Khan controversy and the normalisation of hate

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan   The registration of two FIRs in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region against BJP Minority Morcha leader and social media influencer Nazia Elahi Khan for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad is not merely another isolated controversy. It is a disturbing reminder of how hate speech and communal provocation have become increasingly normalised in contemporary India.

Khan Sir under scrutiny: How a popular teacher became a national controversy

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan   For millions of students across India, particularly those from modest backgrounds, Khan Sir has been more than just an educator. Through affordable coaching classes and a simple, accessible teaching style, he has become a source of inspiration for many aspirants preparing for competitive examinations.

Policy expert warns: Unregulated seed chemicals threaten food safety, soil health

By A Representative   In a detailed representation submitted to the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) on June 25, 2026, public policy expert Dr. Donthi Narasimha Reddy has urgently drawn the attention of the regulatory authorities to what he describes as a critical regulatory vacuum governing pesticide‑coated seeds and seed processing units across India.