January 3, 2019
Trinamool’s Derek O’Brien asks a Question on Right To Education Act
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Question 228
Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the number of private schools that are required to reserve seats for students of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and the number of such seats available, yearwise and State-wise since 2015;
(b) the number and proportion of such seats in private schools which have been filled during that period, year-wise and State-wise;
(c) the steps taken to increase awareness about the availability of vacant seats;
(d) whether complaints have been received against any private school for non-acceptance of EWS students; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken in this regard?
First Supplementary Question
When the Right to Education was brought, the BPL families were supposed to become first-generation learners. That was one of the objectives.
My first question is, whether the National Informatics Centre would develop a software which would make it easier for BPL families to enrol under the Right to Education Act? What is the update on this software, if any?
Second Supplementary Question
My second supplementary is related to the answer which has been laid.
Education is a subject on the Concurrent List, and most of the reasons where the minister or the ministry could not supply all the answers is because the State Government has not supplied or has to supply (them). Education was put on the Concurrent List only in 1976.
The broader issue – and we don’t want to get into the politics or the controversy of that – is, is the Government, to respect the federal structure, open to the idea of putting education back on to the State List?
