The admission process for the academic year 2023-24 under the Right to Education (RTE) Act has recently concluded, revealing that more than 90% of the reserved seats for economically weaker students in private primary schools in Pune have been successfully filled.
Out of the total 15,596 vacancies in Pune, a remarkable 14,154 admissions have been confirmed, leaving 1,442 seats still vacant. Pune leads the way among all districts in Maharashtra, showcasing its commitment to providing quality education to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The RTE Act of 2009 mandates that 25% of seats in entry-level classes within unaided private schools be reserved for students from economically disadvantaged or socially weaker sections. This initiative aims to ensure that students from all strata of society have access to quality education.
The admission process, which commenced on March 1, faced delays but ultimately proved to be a success. Across Maharashtra, a total of 3.65 lakh applications were received for the 1.01 lakh seats reserved under the RTE. Currently, more than 80% of these reserved seats (82,908) have been filled through the admission process.
Deputy RTE Officer, Momin Asma Begum Imdoddin, highlighted that there are still vacancies to be filled. The decision regarding further rounds of admission is yet to be finalized. This year’s admissions have seen an increase compared to the previous year due to higher participation from schools.
The admission procedure was conducted entirely online, although some cases required manual intervention due to discrepancies in documents or dates. These issues were promptly addressed by the RTE authorities.
In Pune, the admission process attracted 77,531 applications, resulting in 22,523 selections. More than 930 schools from across the city participated in the admission process. Out of the total, 10,676 admissions were confirmed through the regular selection process.
Additional admissions were made through the waiting lists, including 2,407 confirmations in the first round, 700 in the second, 260 in the third, and 111 in the fourth and potentially final round.
The successful filling of over 90% of RTE seats in private primary schools in Pune stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts of educational institutions and authorities to ensure equal educational opportunities for all students, regardless of their economic background.
