Punjab, Telangana, Kerala and West Bengal have not Implemented RTE

The states of Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal, and Kerala have not implemented the Right to Education Act. The Union Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chowdhary, gave this information in the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question on 7 August 2024.

The minister said that education is on the concurrent list, and the state government has the power to make rules under the Right to Education Act. These state governments have not yet framed such rules.

Right to Education Act 2009

The 86th constitutional amendment 2022 amended the constitution and inserted a new Article 21 A, which provided for free and compulsory education to children between 6 -14 years of age.

The Fundamental right to education provided in Article 21 A was to become operational when Parliament passed an enabling law.

Parliament passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, to implement the 86th Constitutional Amendment.

The Right to Education Act came into effect on 1 April 2010.

Main Provisions of the Right to Education Act 2009

• Free and compulsory education to 6-14 years of age children till completion of elementary education in a neighbourhood school.
• The children will not pay any fee for their education.
• Mentions the duties of the concerned state government local authority.
• Specify the teacher-student ratio in a class.
• It prohibits physical punishment, mental harassment, etc

Allocation for Education in Union Budget 2024-25

In the Union Budget 2024-25, Rs 1.20 lakh crore has been allocated to the education sector.

The allocation is Rs 9,091 crore less than the revised estimate for 2023-24.

The revised estimate for education for 2023-24 was Rs 1,29,718 crore.

• Allocation for School Education and Literacy: Rs 73,008 crore, compared to the revised estimate of Rs 72,473 crore for 2023-24.
• Allocation for Higher Education: Rs 47,619 crore in 2024-25 as compared to the revised estimates of Rs 57,244 crore for 2023-24.
• Allocation for the University Grants Commission (UGC): Rs 2,500 crore as compared to the revised estimate of Rs 6,409 crore for 2023-24.

Union Minister for Education: Dharmendra Pradhan