RTE admission time has been extended as more than 54,000 students to confirm nominations so far.

The Department of Education has extended the deadline for admission under the Right of Education (RTE) Act under the Right of Education (RTE) Act after concerns on the low number of cheerful admissions. The first was set for February 28, the extension was deemed necessary as more than 1 lakh students in private and united schools have not been confirmed their nominations in the seats allotted in seats.

An officer of the Directorate of Primary Education, who operates RTE admissions, said that the current number was expanded in view of the confirmed admissions. Data from the official RTE website shows that more than 3.5 lakh applications were submitted, out of which a total of 1,01,967 students were allocated seats after the lottery-based selection process. However, to date, only 47,886 students have confirmed their admission, causing more than 54,000 seats uncontrolled.

One of the reasons cited for the delay is difficulty in obtaining the required entry documents, which can obstruct many students to complete the process. Last year, the delay in the admission process resulted in more than 11,000 seats left, and this year, officials are trying to end the admission in an attempt to reduce the number of unfolded seats by May. The Protection of Child Rights for Maharashtra State Commission has also recently directed the Director of Primary Education to ensure that the RTE admission process for the academic year 2025-26 has been completed within this time limit.

Expressing concern over the recurring delays, the students of Maharashtra, parents, and Teacher Federation President Nitin Dalvi warned of possible legal action that the situation should persist. He emphasized that if the children live without admission till May, the parents will be forced to enroll in private institutions at their own expense, which will reduce the basic objective of the RTE Act, which wants to provide free education to financially disadvantaged students.

The RTE Act said that 25% seats in private schools should be reserved for children with weak economic background to provide access to quality education. Officials continued to underline the importance of timely entry, urging parents and schools to intensify the process to ensure that they fully benefit from this initiative.