Chandigarh, April 17 -- After months of delay, the Punjab government on Thursday finally invited applications from parents and guardians of children belonging to economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups for admission to private unaided schools under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. The school education department has invited online applications for the 2026-27 academic session under Section 12(1)(c) of the Act. The law mandates that private schools not receiving government aid reserve at least 25% of seats in entry-level classes (ranging from nursery to Class 1) for children from weaker and disadvantaged sections. The admission portal - https://rte.epunjabschool.gov.in - went live on April 16 and will remain open for submission of online applications till 5pm on April 25. "No application will be accepted after the closing date of the portal," according to a notice issued by the director of elementary education. Punjab has 7,806 private unaided schools. The Punjab and Haryana high court, in an order in February last year, directed all private unaided recognised schools in Punjab to reserve 25% of their Class 1 seats for children from weaker and disadvantaged sections. The state government was directed to ensure strict enforcement of the ruling for the 2025-26 academic year. However, there was little progress on admissions, drawing criticism from parents, social activists, and NGOs over the delay. Former IAS officer Jagmohan Raju, on whose PIL the court issued the order, said they repeatedly had to write to the state government and approach the court for implementation of provisions that authorities should have implemented on their own, as mandated by law. "It's better late than never. They must now implement these provisions with sincerity and transparency," he told HT, commenting on the department's notice inviting applications. A department official said that RTE admissions will be conducted through the centralised online application system along with a transparent draw-of-lots mechanism. "There is no provision for offline applications," he added. On August 14 last year, the department issued detailed SOPs for implementing Section 12(1)(c) of the Act in the state. The SOPs laid down the applicability criteria for schools, eligibility conditions for students, category-wise seat reservations, neighbourhood criteria for candidate school mapping, and norms for fee reimbursement. The SOPs stated that all private unaided schools, except minority schools, must admit children belonging to EWS and disadvantaged groups at the nursery, LKG, UKG or Class I level, whichever is the entry level class of the school, to the extent of at least 25% of the total seats as mandated under the RTE Act. According to fresh guidelines issued on April 15, eligible children include those from economically weaker sections with gross family income from all sources below Rs.8 lakh per annum and disadvantaged groups such as Scheduled Castes, backward classes or other backward classes (non-creamy layer) as well as children of war widows, children of disabled persons (minimum 40% disability), children with special needs under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and orphaned children. The reservation ratio between EWS and disadvantaged groups will be 12.5% each. The minimum age for admission has been set as three years for nursery, four years for LKG, five years for UKG, and six years for Class 1, as on April 1, 2026. Additionally, there is neighbourhood criteria for school mapping, which stipulates that children residing within a 0-3 km radius of the school will be given first priority for admission, while those living within a 3-6 km radius will be given second preference. According to the guidelines, schools will receive fee reimbursement equivalent to the per-child expenditure decided by the state government or the actual school fee, whichever is less. The department warned private unaided schools that any violation or failure to comply with the rules governing implementation of Section 12(1)(c) will invite appropriate action. The RTE Act was passed in 2009. Punjab was among the four states that did not reserve seats in private schools under its provisions. In 2011, the then Punjab government had framed the Punjab RTE Rules by making a provision that children from EWS and disadvantaged categories must first seek admission in government schools. "They may approach unaided schools for admission only after getting a no-objection certificate from government schools on the ground of non-availability of seats or other reasons," the rules stated. Last year, the HC declared Rule 7(4) of the Punjab RTE Rules, 2011, as contrary to Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act, 2009. "It is settled by the principles of interpretation of statute that in case of conflict between statutory rules and the Act, the Act prevails," the court ruled. Following the court ruling, the state cabinet removed Rule 7(4) of the Punjab RTE Rules, 2011....