Madras High Court ordered the state government to file a counter within a week after a petition challenged the Government Order issued by School Education Department for filling up 25 per cent seats as per the Right to Education Act.
Acting Chief Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sundresh passed the order after hearing the petition filed by A Narayanan which challenged the GO issued on April 1, 2013 stating that it only gives seven days time for the parents, who are underprivileged and uneducated, to receive, fill up and submit the forms to the schools concerned for availing of the RTE quota.
The petitioner stated that because of the impugned order, 69 per cent of eligible children in Tamil Nadu lost their opportunity to avail of the constitutional provision of studying in unaided schools across the state in the academic year 2013-14.
The petitioner cited the example of Karnataka which has given more than one month for parents to submit applications to fill the RTE quota.
Stating that there is urgency as the next academic year is around the corner, the petitioner urged the court for an interim direction to the state government to direct the authorities and school managements concerned including CBSE to not fill up the reserved 25 per cent seats under the RTE Act with other candidates.