Maharashtra government scraps GR that nixed pre-primary admissions under RTE

In a major relief to hundreds of students, the state government has withdrawn its earlier resolution of April 30 announcing that admissions in pre-primary section were not covered under the Right to Education Act.

A division bench of Anoop Mohta and V L Achliya was informed by the state on Friday that it had withdrawn the resolution. Now admissions will take place in pre-primary as well as primary sections as per state's previous government resolution of January 21, the government told the court.

According to the state, admissions under RTE will start again and the first round that had remained incomplete would be completed by July 28.

Representing the government, advocate Nitin Deshpande said, "The government has decided to issue a GR along the lines of the January 21 resolution. Following objection by schools to admissions in both primary and pre-primary sections, the government had come out with a new GR on April 30, stating that the benefit should given to kids taking admission in the first standard. We have explained to the court why admissions under RTE quota need to happen for pre-primary and primary sections."

SM Paranjape, co-convener of Anudanit Shiksha Bachaao Samiti, said, "We are happy that the state will allow children to take admissions under RTE in both sections. But this has delayed the admission process a lot."