New Delhi: PM Manmohan Singh will address the historic launch of Right to Education (RTE) Act on April 1, 2010. For first time in India, any PM will address the nation on a specific law. Also, it is for the first time that a new fundamental right namely RTE will be launched. Also, the PM's address takes on significance, because it comes against the background of a strong insight that he was more focused on foreign policy issues and rate of growth.
As per sources, the PM’s decision to speak to a country-wide audience on RTE comes a day after the setting up of the National Advisory Council under Sonia Gandhi. Right to education as a fundamental right was brought about through the 86th Amendment in 2002 by inserting Article 21A in the Constitution. It is belived that HRD minister Kapil Sibal had met the PM and requested him to address the nation on the historic law.
In the meantime, HRD ministry has put in place all the necessary legal requirements needed under the RTE Act. The model rules have been sent to the state governments while central rules for Union Territories without assemblies -- Chandigarh, Andaman & Nicobar Island, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Lakshwadeep, and Daman & Diu -- will get finalized on Wednesday after being vetted by the law ministry. Many state governments have also begun the process of adapting/adopting model rules as state rules.
HRD ministry has also informed NCERT as the academic authority for the curriculum and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), as the academic authority that will lay down the minimum qualification for teachers. In addition the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights will soon set up a monitoring cell for the RTE Act. Each state has also been asked to set up a State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR). Till this is done the states have been asked to set up Right to Education Protection Authority. Karnataka, Sikkim, Delhi and Maharashtra have already set up their SCPCR.
Furthermore, the HRD ministry has also zeroed on a number of issues as the next steps for better implementation of RTE. One important among them is sharing of funds between the Centre and states. The ministry wants revision in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan's funding pattern of 55:45 between the Centre and states, so that it can be aligned with RTE. HRD wants the Centre's share for RTE to go up.
HRD ministry has also decided to ensure that age appropriate admissions are given by schools as well as mapping of neighbourhood schools is done. Reservation of 25% to underprivileged children in the neighbourhood might not be possible this year as school admission in many states had nearly got over by the time notification of RTE and Article 21A was made.
