RTE: No Restriction for Admission Only at Entry Level, Says Court

UdaipurTimes, Sept 21, 2026 - In an important directive, Justice Krishnan Ramasamy of Madras High Court has ruled that admission under the Right to Education (RTE) Act in private and self-financed schools be not restricted only to the initial entry-level grade.

The Court was allowing a petition filed by P Murugan and directed the District Education Officer and the concerned private school management to admit the petitioner’s son under the RTE quota. The petitioner, a resident of Ayanavaram, had challenged the denial of admission to his child in UKG in a local school under RTE.

This is a significant ruling concerning RTE Act for the education of children from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections. Eligible children from the relevant categories between the ages of 6 and 14 can be admitted under the RTE Act to any age-appropriate class up to Class 8.

The State Government had argued that the child could not be admitted to UKG because the RTE Act permits admission only at the entry level. The Judge, however, referred to Sections 3(1), 3(2) and 4 of the RTE Act, saying "The reading of the provisions clarifies that a child can be admitted at any age, in which case they are entitled to pursue their studies in an appropriate class, to her/his age. This demonstrates that there is no legal embargo restricting a child to enter only at the initial entry-level grade."

Source: Media Reports