RTE lottery allots 14k students, pvt schools to shut tomorrow

Raipur: Chhattisgarh govt on Wednesday allotted 14,403 seats under the Right to Education (RTE) Act through an online lottery, igniting a new confrontation with private schools that have rejected the admissions and called for a statewide shutdown on April 18.The draw of lots took place in the presence of chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and senior education officials, representing the latest phase of admissions aimed at economically weaker and disadvantaged groups. Currently, more than 3.63 lakh students across the state are benefiting from the RTE scheme.The state's private school management association, protesting since March 1, has declared it will not accept students assigned through the draw. The group is demanding that the govt disclose per-student spending in public schools to update reimbursement rates frozen since 2011. The association also plans a symbolic demonstration on April 17, with teachers donning black armbands, ahead of the full shutdown on April 18.Official figures show 38,439 applications for 21,975 seats this year; 27,203 qualified, while 11,236 were disqualified. From eligible applicants, 14,403 received placements via the digital draw — excluding CM DAV schools, which will hold separate offline lotteries. Raipur led selections with 2,606, followed by Bilaspur at 1,509 and Durg at 1,059. Some seats went unfilled because certain schools ranked low on applicants' preference lists or drew little interest. "The entire process is being conducted digitally, ensuring transparency and technology-driven execution at every stage," officials said.The RTE Act mandates that 25% of entry-level seats in private unaided schools be reserved for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with reimbursements tied to state spending per child in govt institutions. School owners argue the outdated rates — unchanged since 2011 — impose unsustainable financial burdens.State authorities insist the lottery was transparent and pledge additional rounds to fill vacancies.Get real-time updates and result insights on the CBSE 12 Result 2026.