Odisha school admissions: Thousands of EBC students deprived of RTE quota!

A significant number of economically disadvantaged (EBC) students in Odisha are reportedly missing from the Right to Education (RTE) quota despite possessing the requisite documents.

Also Read: Parents decry age cut-off norms under RTE for admission to Odisha schools

It has been alleged that thousands of students' names have been inexplicably removed from the official portal ‘RTE-Paradarshi’, barring many deserving families from realising their aspiration of securing admission to private schools at no cost.

Parents suspect a potential scam

Out of nearly 8,000 applications, more than 5,000 students have not been allocated seats, leading to suspicions of a potential scam.
Concerned parents and members of the Odisha Abibhabaka Mahasangha (a parents' outfit) actively demonstrated yesterday outside the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) office.

Several economically disadvantaged parents, such as Suchismita Routray from a Khandagiri slum in Bhubaneswar, expressed confusion over repeated rejections despite meeting all documentation requirements. Suchismita attempted to enroll her child under the RTE scheme for four consecutive years without success.

Odisha has designated 25% of seats in 3,993 private schools for underprivileged children, amounting to approximately 12,500 seats. However, many poor students remain without admissions to private schools.

During recent protests outside the OSEPA office, parents questioned why 8,101 forms were dismissed and why 5,234 students were denied seats despite seemingly adhering to the admission criteria.

Allegations have surfaced regarding potential tampering at block education offices (BEOs). Initially set for March 1, the application deadline was extended to April this year, a decision that sparked controversy and was later revised to close on March 18. Of the total 36,695 applications received, around 25% were rejected, leaving many bewildered.

President of the parents’ association accused certain private schools of exaggerating seat numbers to sell them at inflated prices.

School and Mass Education (S&ME) Minister has assured a comprehensive investigation into these allegations. The S&ME Minister promised departmental action where irregularities are confirmed. A review will also address the issue of applicant names being omitted from listings on the ‘RTE-Paradarshi’ portal.

Must Read: 25% quota for poor in private schools: Outcry in Odisha over prolonged delay in admission

“After the last date of admission, the private schools in Odisha will sell the 25 percent reserve seats,” the parents’ outfit president, Basudev Bhatta, said to OTV.