Nagpur :-RTE 25% admissions portal was opened on 3rd March 2023 for on line applications from parents seeking free seats for their child under RTE 25% Reservation Admissions. Initially the online form submission last date was declared as 17th March Midnight. However as its been observed that Education Department and all the persons from the department involved in RTE for smooth functioning and Facilitation have always extended the dates in the last couple of years as a consideration towards needy parents. Education Department and the resource centers like URC and BRC ensure that none of the deserving and needy parents do not fail to fill and submit the online application form in absence of lack of information, so the dates have always been extended keeping in mind that those who weren’t informed or were not aware of the last date should also get a chance to fill the online form under RTE 25% reservation in absence of lack of information or misinformation.
News Today 24×7 Special Correspondent has mentioned a few points from the yesterday evenings exclusive interview with Education Department’s officers which are appended below.
News Today Question: There were a lot of rumors about the portal being dysfunctional and having issues with submission of forms and other such rumors that form cannot be submitted without the Aadhar details and the possibility of the such forms that got submitted without Aadhar details won’t be considered in the selection of lottery?
Answer: The rumors are false and misinformation was being spread. Even without Aadhar details the forms were getting submitted and the application number was generated even for such applications in which Aadhar details were not mentioned. If Aadhar details were mandatory then the form wouldn’t have an option to mention YES or NO for Aadhar. The option was given to mention or not to mention the Aadhar number, however while document verification at respective resource centers, Verification Team will definitely verify Aadhar cards and ask for it. Though if a child’s Aadhar is not ready at the time of verification, such a child will be provided a provisional admission with a three-month time frame to submit the Aadhar for the child, failing which the admission might get cancelled. All servers that face a huge traffic are subject to function slowly due to the bandwidth of the internet not being sufficient to cater to such a huge crowd of applicants in the first few days when the portal is initially opened for the online form /application submission. Due to our past observation that such issues arise where in the server goes slow or might even crash, we proactively had created an alternate link also to ease the traffic on the portal, and this alternate link was available right from the day the portal was opened for online form /application submission. The portal on the landing page itself had the information of an alternate link being available, and the same was also declared by a press note issued on 3rd March 2023 (images are attached). “Misinformation is spread by misinformed people, who just get into spreading rumors without even doing the fact check and to gain attention and publicity from the general public”. This we cannot control and neither its our job to clarify on every fake rumor or misinformation spread by some misinformed person with selfish motives. Our officers are available at every resource center to cater to the queries and to provide resolution to parents facing any issues pertaining to RTE.
News Today Question: What was the reason for extension of dates for the submission of online Application on portal? Was it initiated by some activist, social worker or some NGO?
Answer: Education department decisions are neither inspired or governed by none of the above. As mentioned earlier, sensing the need and inputs shared by other officers, dates have always been extended. The date extension was initiated by the Director of Education (Primary) thru his official letter on 17th March 2023, informing all involved, to spread the news about the extension of dates of closure of online portal for RTE applications so that maximum number of parents benefit from this decision and do not mis the opportunity to participate in the RTE 25% reservation online lottery. However, this extension of date is till 25th of March 2023 only, and will not be extended further, this the parents have to take a note of. He further clarified that the extension of dates is for the entire Maharashtra and its not done due to some activists or NGO’s intervention. The letter from the Director (image attached) would surely have a mention of the person or an organization who initiated this extension, but the letter has no such mention of any activist, NGO or any social worker. Necessarily, if the decision was taken on some request from any person or organization, such a letter will also have a copy marked to them. But since the letter has no mention, it can be deemed that as a usual practice since many past years, date extension is just a normal routine and a concern for the needy parents out there. However, if there is any such claim from an NGO, activist or a social worker having initiated the extensions of date, then we are not aware of receiving any such request or application from them nor are we aware of any copy of the letter from the Director mentioning this change being given to the person claiming to have initiated this date extension.
News Today Question: Owing to the strike, will the resource centers see lack of staff to cater to the parents having questions and concerns pertaining to RTE?
Answer: All resource centers will have adequate staff to cater to such needs. The staff in question will all be available and none of them are striking or protesting.
