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After much delays, Tamil Nadu starts processing RTE admissions
Tamil Nadu has started processing admissions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act based on the directions issued by the Supreme Court and Madras high court
Tamil Nadu has started processing admissions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act after much political and legal wrangle over the issue and following the release of the state’s due share of reimbursement funds by the Central government earlier this month based on the directions issued by the Supreme Court and Madras high court.
The Tamil Nadu school education department has received more than 81,000 applications and more than 7,000 schools have registered to offer their seats for 2025-2026.
The Union government had released approximately ₹700 crore. Normally, RTE admissions begin in mid-April and conclude by May. However, the 2025-26 admission process was delayed due to the Centre’s withholding the state’s share of funds. TN began the process on October 9.
On June 10, the high court directed the Centre to consider delinking RTE reimbursements from the broader Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme after the DMK-led state government submitted that the Centre was making it conditional and penalising the state for not adopting the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 and not signing any MoU under the PM SHRI Schools scheme.
As the Centre did not comply with the directive on time, the state filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. On September 1, the apex court issued a notice to the Centre, seeking its response within four weeks on the state’s argument that both the Centre and state share concurrent responsibilities for funding education under the RTE Act, and the withholding of funds was unjust.
The Union education ministry convened a supplementary Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting on August 22 and sanctioned approximately ₹700 crore — ₹362 crore for 2024-25 and ₹352 crore for 2025-26 — under the RTE components to Tamil Nadu.
A total of 81,927 students have applied for LKG and 89 students for Class I under the 25 per cent reservation mandated by the RTE Act, B Chandra Mohan, principal secretary of Tamil Nadu’s school education department said on Friday. The final phase of the admission process is scheduled on 30 October. Eligible children will be admitted in schools not requiring a draw of lots, and on 31 October, admissions will be made in schools where the number of applications exceeds available seats, through a transparent and random lot process conducted in the presence of the Head of the Institution and parents, he added. “After completion of this process, all selected children will be officially tagged under the RTE quota in the EMIS portal, ensuring their inclusion in the academic roll for the year 2025–26 academic year,” the senior officer said.
