HC orders state to establish a transparent mechanism for RTE

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh high court has ordered the state government to establish a transparent mechanism for filling remaining school seats under the Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act. The court issued this directive during a hearing on April 20 regarding a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by C V Bhagvant Rao against Union of India and others.The department of school education submitted a personal affidavit detailing the admission status. Records show 38,439 applications against 21,975 available seats. Officials validated 27,203 applications. A lottery conducted on April 15 allotted 15,426 seats across the state. Students must complete the process by May 31.Chief justice Ramesh Sinha and justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal on April 20 noted the academic session began on April 1. The bench directed the state to present a clear plan for the allotment of the remaining seats before the next hearing.HC also heard an intervention by Atharva Gupta on St. Xavier School, where a proposal to merge its Ranisagar and Bharni campuses was rejected by the district education officer on administrative grounds. HC observed that the current PIL does not cover this specific grievance. It granted the intervenors liberty to challenge the decision before an appropriate forum. The next hearing is scheduled for May 7.