Protests erupt after B'luru school run by minister DK Shivakumar denies RTE admissions

Energy Minister D K Shivakumar argued that his school will not provide admissions under RTE at two levels, but only one.
Protests erupt after B'luru school run by minister DK Shivakumar denies RTE admissions
Protests erupt after B'luru school run by minister DK Shivakumar denies RTE admissions
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A CBSE school in Karnataka's Bengaluru is in the dock for allegedly refusing to admit students under the RTE quota. National Hill View Public School in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, of which Energy Minister D K Shivakumar is the Chairman, allegedly refused to admit students to Class 1 under the RTE quota. Following this, the parents of students who had procured admissions under the quota, staged a protest outside the school on Wednesday. 

Chandre Gowda, a parent told The New Indian Express, “Though there is a rule mandating that schools should admit children both at LKG and Class 1, NHVPS is denying admission.” The parents then proceeded to file a complaint with the Block Education Officer. 

TNIE reports, "At National Hill View Public School’s two units, the total number of seats for LKG is 70 and for Class 1, it is 112. As per the rules, this year, the institution has to give 25 per cent of the 42 extra seats added in Class 1 for RTE quota children. The school had allocated 33 seats in LKG but is denying admission for 39 seats in Class 1 at it two units."

According to the report, the school has two units in the same locality. 

The Karnataka High Court had recently said that the private schools are entitled to simultaneously admit students under the RTE quota at two entry points- LKG and Class 1. 

In a report published by The Hindu on April 17, an excerpt from the HC order was published. It reads: “Action of the respondents [State authorities] in allotting students to the educational institutions, both in pre-school and class one, is legal and intra vires [within the power] of the Right to Education Act. The reservation of 25% in class one and pre-school at both entry levels simultaneously for children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged group is justifiable." 

However, the minister argued that his school would admit students only at one level. He proceeded to allege that "rich" students and not deserving students were being admitted under the RTE quota. 

 “We are providing seats at one level, we will not give seats at two levels. We have to check the income status of the parents of children who have got seats under the quota. The rich are giving false affidavits and it is not the poor students who are benefited. This year we will cross check the background of all the children who are admitted in our school,” the minister was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

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