Applicants exceed number of seats for the first time

MUMBAI:FOR the first time in four years, the number of applicants for online admissions under the Right to Education (RTE) quota has exceeded the available seats. Over 9, 451 students applied for the 8, 593 seats till Thursday evening — marking a 50% rise from last year. Education officials attributed it to increasing awareness about the seats.

Unaided, non-minority schools are supposed to reserve 25% of their seats for students from economically and socially weaker sections as stipulated by the RTE Act, 2009.

In Mumbai, 334 schools are following the quota this year. This is the fourth year of the online admissions, which began in 2014.

Form-filling for the coming academic year, 2017-18, began on February 9. Around 6, 667 students had applied till February 25, following which the deadline for the entire state was extended till Thursday, March 2, by the state education department.

While form-filling was open till Thursday midnight, the number of applicants reached 9,451 by Thursday evening, a significant rise, compared to 6, 409 students vying for 9,664 seats across 317

schools in the last academic year

According to Mahesh Palkar education officer, Brihanmum bai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the improved turnout is owing to various awareness drives to publicise RTE seats and an extension of the February 25 deadline. “Around 2, 633 more students could apply because the deadline was moved ahead,” said Palkar.

An online lottery will be held on Monday to allot seats to the candidates.