India has a law called the Right to Education (RTE) Act. This law says that 25% of seats in private schools should be reserved for students from poor families.
But right now, there’s a big problem because the government owes a lot of money—about Rs. 5,620 crore ($678 million)—to these schools. This money is for the education of these poor students, and many states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are facing delays in paying this money.
Because of these unpaid dues, private schools are saying they might stop taking RTE admissions next year. In Maharashtra, 18,000 schools haven’t received their money for three years! In Karnataka, schools are waiting for Rs. 1,800 crore ($217 million) in payments. This is making it hard for schools to pay their teachers and keep the school running.
Right now, 72% of schools are struggling to pay their staff, and 84% can’t improve their school facilities. If schools stop taking admissions, around 2.8 million students mightn’t get an education.
The state governments say the delays are due to money problems and slow paperwork. Each payment is taking about 18 months instead of the 30 days it should take.
To fix this, the Ministry of Education has a plan. They want to create a special team to handle payments, set up an online system to track money, and make an emergency fund of Rs. 2,000 crore ($241 million) for quick payments.
Experts warn that if this issue isn’t solved soon, RTE admissions could drop by 40% by 2024. This means around 1.1 million eligible students could miss out on a good education.
The Supreme Court will hear cases from school groups asking for help from the government.
This situation needs urgent attention because it affects many students’ chances to learn and succeed in the future.
