RTE amendment hikes benefits for disabled

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday cleared an amendment to the Right to Education Act, which will widen the beneficiary net for disabled children and provide those with severe disability the option of receiving free education at home.

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday cleared an amendment to the Right to Education Act, which will widen the beneficiary net for disabled children and provide those with severe disability the option of receiving free education at home.

The Rajya Sabha had earlier approved the bill.

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“Children with all kinds of disabilities will be protected under the Act,” HRD minister Kapil Sibal said, moving amendments to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

The minister said children suffering from all kinds of disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy and mental retardation will get free and compulsory education, under the Act.

Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, which was not mentioned in the bill earlier, would be covered once the changes (are made), Sibal added.

On demands to make explicit reference to provisions of Articles 29 and 30 dealing with rights of minorities, Sibal said it was not needed as the Constitution is supreme and everything flows from it.

Sibal said the apex court in a recent judgement had made it clear that the RTE Act would not apply to unaided minority institutions. Kirit Solanki of the BJP, however, demanded that all religious educational institutions be brought under it.