Chandigarh, April 23 -- Days after the Punjab government opened the portal and invited applications, concerns have emerged regarding the implementation of admissions for children from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections in private schools in the state under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. A non-governmental organisation, social activists, and private schools have raised issues related to tight timelines, lack of public awareness, and compliance with the provisions of the law. They have urged the school education department to review these conditions and ensure publicity to facilitate admissions, enabling the maximum number of eligible children to benefit. Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act mandates that private unaided schools reserve at least 25% of seats in Class 1 for children from weaker and disadvantaged sections. On April 16, the state government opened the portal (https://rte.epunjabschool.gov.in) for RTE admissions in the state - the first time since the law came into force in 2009 - inviting applications from parents and guardians of such children till 5pm on April 25. Director, school education (elementary), Harkirat Kaur Channe, said that this is the first year the 25% quota in private schools is being implemented. "We are getting feedback and assessing it to make improvements as we move forward," she said. Mohali-based NGO, Action Committee for RTE Act, has termed the application submission timeline "grossly inadequate" and contrary to the mandate of section 15 of the RTE Act, read with Rule 10 of the Punjab RTE Rules, 2011, which permits admissions up to four months from the commencement of the academic session - i.e. up to July 31 2026. In a letter to the state government, the NGO said no adequate or structured mechanism has been devised to disseminate information on admissions, severely limiting awareness among eligible beneficiaries. Convener Onkar Nath said parents are facing technical issues with the online admission portal, with many unable to locate schools in their villages or localities. "The government must publicise the RTE admission process as it does with its other schemes," he said. Former bureaucrat Jagmohan Singh Raju, who filed a court case for RTE implementation, said confusion persists over the number of schools, seat availability, and age criteria. "I am getting many calls regarding these. They (government) first delayed the process and are now rushing it," he said. Private schools are also seeking clarity on the admission schedule and fee reimbursement. Dr Jagjit Singh Dhuri, chairman of the Federation of Private Schools and Associations, while welcoming the implementation of the RTE, said the rollout has been delayed. "The process should have started in February. The academic session has already begun, and we do not know how long to keep seats vacant. What happens if these seats are not filled through this process? This is going to be challenging for schools," he said. Responding to concerns raised by various stakeholders, Channe said, "The number of applications has not met expectations so far. We will assess the situation shortly and make a decision. As for publicity, details of the admission process have been shared in WhatsApp groups and displayed on school notice boards. Posters will also be released soon to create awareness," she said. On fee reimbursement to private schools, she added that a committee would be set up to formulate the guidelines and decide the per-child cost....