BENGALURU: The online lottery system for allotting the final seats under the Right to Education (RTE) quota in private unaided schools has turned out to be a mess.
As per documents available from the schools in the city, many ineligible students have been allotted seats.
Last Thursday, the Department of Public Instruction held the online lottery for allotment of seats using a software application. Lokayukta justice Bhaskar Rao launched the process and assured the applicants of complete transparency.
However, according to documents available, most of the candidates who were allotted seats had been earlier rejected by department officials for various reasons.
Speaking to Express, D Shashikumar, organising secretary of Associated Management of Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), said, “We are receiving complaints from managements across the state. Even after so many representations, the authorities have not taken appropriate measures.”
Students who do not belong to the ward have been allotted seats, candidates who did not qualify age wise have got seats, and students with second preference have got seats in the first round itself. Moreover, those who had been rejected at the application level itself have got seats. “How can we trust this process?” asked Shashikumar.
“A student from Nelamangala was allotted a seat in a Dasarahalli school. How does this fulfil the RTE criterion of neighbourhood schools?” he questioned.
According to the schools, reserved categories have been allotted more seats than the percentage reserved. “In our school, three seats were reserved for SC/ST category. But over eight candidates have been allotted seats. Parents are putting pressure on us to admit them,” said the principal of a city school.
Considering the lapses, the KAMS plans to approach the Lokayukta and file a complaint on Tuesday.