Schools flout quota norms, but HRD ministry has no clue

NEW DELHI: The HRD ministry never tires of taking credit for the historic Right to Education Act but it is not aware of states and educational institutions that do not comply with a key provision of the law that stipulates 25% reservation for children from economically weaker section (EWS) in the neighbourhood.
In response to one RTI application, HRD said it has nil information.Asked if ministry has any official document or record containing a description of the action that must be initiated to end discriminatory practices towards students of EWS category, HRD said it had issued two guidelines in 2012 regarding the processing of grievances/complaints against the violation of child rights and abolition of discriminatory practices against children in schools.
HRD ministry also said in the RTI reply that it does not bother to take suo motu action if it reads any news reports about discrimination against EWS children. Ministry has transferred the responsibility to monitoring bodies like National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR).
On Wednesday, HRD minister Smriti Irani said in a written reply that states have been creating awareness among students and parents about the provisions of the RTE Act for which the central government has provided them funds under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
HRD sources said, “Education is a concurrent subject and it is for the states to monitor school education as well as implementation of RTE Act. Centre can only issue advisories which it has done. It is at the persistence of HRD ministry that SCPCRs have been established in states. Under the act, all complaints related to violation of RTE has to go to NCPCR and SCPCR. Ministry cannot be monitoring the act.”