10k students get RTE seats in 2nd round of admission

Bhubaneswar: A total of 10,120 students were allotted seats in private schools through the second round of centralised online lottery conducted by the Directorate of Elementary Education on Wednesday. The process helped admit students under Section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RCFCE) Act, 2009, for the 2026-27 academic session. Under the law, children belonging to economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups are entitled to free education at the entry level in private schools. In Odisha, these admissions are conducted through the RTE Paradarshi portal. The second phase of online student registration began on April 4 and continued till April 24. A total of 20,377 students submitted applications through the portal, of which 15,624 applications were verified by block education officers and found eligible for the online lottery process. The directorate officials informed that the admission process for selected students will commence from April 30 and continue till May 18. Director of elementary education Balamukunda Bhuyan and other senior officials were present during the lottery.