Bengaluru: At its worst, the school admission process is a tough route for parents. They not only face stiff competition, but have to jump over several hurdles to secure a place for their children. In a desperate attempt to obtain seats under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) quota in aided and unaided schools, several parents allegedly fudged documents to show their children had special needs or were orphans or street children.

According to a The Hindu report, Department of Public Instruction discovered this during the verification process.

Of the total 1,095 applications received under the special category, 418 were not eligible to claim this benefit. “Many of them did not have the necessary documents. Even single parents had come forward to claim the benefit,” said an official.

These fraudulent applications have been converted to general applications and will still be a part of the online lottery process. Only 533 applications are eligible to be considered as special cases under the disadvantaged category.

Orphans, migrant and street children, and those affected and living with HIV, transgenders, children with special needs, and children of farmers who committed suicide due to drought are considered under the special category. These children will be given first preference in the online lottery process.

The total number of eligible applications for RTE seats was 1.5 times the demand. About 2.33 lakh applicants are eligible for 1.52 lakh seats. As many as 5,482 applications were rejected as there were discrepancies in their documents.

Textbooks and uniforms

Shalini Rajneesh, Principal Secretary, pointed out that the State government will provide State syllabus textbooks to those students admitted under the RTE quota. However, managements of CBSE and ICSE schools will have to provide textbooks and school uniforms for RTE students.

Ms. Rajneesh said a fresh circular would be issued in this regard shortly.

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Raipur (PTI): Amid reports of shortage of commercial LPG cylinder in several parts of the country due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday assured people that they need not worry about the availability of cooking gas in the state.

He asserted that adequate stock of LPG as well as petrol and diesel was available in the state.

Sai said in a statement that authorities have been directed to regularly monitor stock at gas agencies and keep a close watch on the supply chain. Necessary instructions were issued to officials in all districts to ensure a smooth supply of LPG.

The chief minister instructed officials to take strict action if any complaint of black marketing or hoarding of LPG cylinders is received.

Sai urged state residents not to pay attention to rumours and to book cooking gas cylinders as per their actual requirement.

The government was fully alert to ensure the availability of essential commodities to citizens, he emphasised.

Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Hotel and Restaurant Association has issued an advisory to hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food businesses across the state, urging them to maintain calm and avoid panic buying.

In the advisory, Taranjeet Singh Hora, president of the association, asked members to maintain coordination and immediately inform it about any major disruption in LPG supply.

He cautioned businesses against hoarding cylinders, saying such practices could worsen the situation for the entire hospitality sector.

The association advised hotels and restaurants to prioritise essential kitchen operations, core menu items and already committed banquet events.

Use electric cooking equipment wherever possible for emergency and staff kitchens such as induction cooktops, electric hot plates, electric rice cookers and kettles, the advisory stated.