Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009

The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 was implemented in the state from April 1, 2010. Under Section 12(1)(g) of the Act, 25% of seats in Class 1 of private schools are reserved for children from 'disadvantaged groups' and 'weaker sections' to receive free admission and free primary education. The government reimburses the fees to private schools as per Section 12(2) of the Act and the Rajasthan Right to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011. Since the academic session 2012-13, free seats have been available in private schools, and the state government has been reimbursing the fees of eligible students. From 2012-13 to 2020-21, over 775,000 children have received free education. Approximately 36,000 private schools operate in the state. To streamline the process of free admissions, fee reimbursements, and monitoring, the state government decided to conduct all these activities online from the 2013-14 session. The School Education Department of the Rajasthan government, with the help of NIC, developed a web portal to facilitate online admission, physical verification monitoring, and reimbursement processes. This online system has reduced the workload for parents, schools, and education department offices while ensuring transparency. An online grievance redressal system was also initiated in the 2018-19 academic year for the convenience of children and parents studying on free seats. According to the state government's notification No-21(19)Edu.-1/E.E./2009 dated May 18, 2020, 'weaker sections' include children whose parents have an annual income of 250,000 rupees or less. 'Disadvantaged groups' include children from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, orphans, children affected by HIV or cancer, children of war widows, disabled children, and children from backward classes whose parents have an annual income of 250,000 rupees or less. Children must reside in the catchment area of the school to be eligible for admission. The catchment area is defined by local bodies in urban areas and by gram panchayats in rural areas. Priority is given to children residing in the relevant ward or village at the time of admission. Children residing outside the relevant urban body or gram panchayat are not eligible for admission. For entry-level classes, the age requirement is that children must be at least 5 years old but less than 7 years old as of March 31.

• Free admission for eligible children
• Free primary education
• Fee reimbursement for private schools
• Online admission and monitoring system
• Transparency in the admission process
• Grievance redressal system for parents and students

Children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections as defined by the state government, including:

• Children whose parents' annual income is 250,000 rupees or less
• Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe children
• Orphans
• Children affected by HIV or cancer
• Children of war widows
• Disabled children
• Children from backward classes with parents' income below 250,000 rupees
• Children residing in the school's catchment area

Children residing outside the relevant urban body or gram panchayat are not eligible for admission.

Online

1. Visit the official website: Rajasthan School Education Portal
2. Complete the online application form.
3. Upload required documents:

• Caste Certificate Copy
• Income Certificate Copy
• Aadhar Card Copy
• Address Proof Copy
• Birth Certificate Copy
• Battle Casualty Report (if applicable)
• Death Certificate Copy (if applicable)
• Domicile Certificate Copy
• Other relevant documents

1. Submit the application.
2. Monitor the application status through the portal.