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Under the revised guidelines, the neighbourhood distance criteria will now determine admission priority rather than act as a mandatory eligibility condition.
The move aims to ensure that reserved seats do not remain unfilled due to distance-related restrictions. (AI Image)
The Chhattisgarh government has relaxed admission norms under the Right to Education (RTE) Act to ensure that 25 per cent of seats reserved for children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in private schools do not remain vacant.
Under the revised guidelines, the neighbourhood distance criteria will now determine admission priority rather than act as a mandatory eligibility condition. This means eligible children living beyond the prescribed neighbourhood limits can also be considered for admission if seats remain vacant after accommodating applicants from nearby areas.
The School Education Department has issued implementation instructions to all District Collectors and District Education Officers across the state, reported The New Indian Express.
Under the revised system, children living within a 1-km radius of a school will receive first priority for admission to Classes 1 to 5. For Classes 6 to 8, priority will be given to eligible students residing within a 3-km radius.
However, if applications from children within these prescribed limits are insufficient to fill the 25 per cent reserved quota, schools will have to consider eligible applicants living beyond the neighbourhood boundaries to fill the remaining seats.
The revised guidelines also remove the requirement for schools and parents to obtain separate approval from the competent authority for every admission involving a child residing outside the prescribed neighbourhood limits. This is expected to reduce procedural delays and make the admission process easier for eligible families.
The department has also streamlined the fee reimbursement process for private schools admitting students under Sections 12(1)(c) and 12(2) of the RTE Act.
The changes follow recommendations from the Union Ministry of Education, which issued advisory guidelines on October 21, 2026, and directions from the Supreme Court earlier this year concerning access to education for disadvantaged children.
The RTE Act mandates that specified private unaided schools reserve 25 per cent of entry-level seats for children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
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Ask News18The Chhattisgarh government revised RTE admission guidelines to allow children living beyond prescribed neighbourhood limits to be considered for vacant reserved seats, rather than using distance as a mandatory restriction. Additionally, the rule requiring separate approval for out-of-neighbourhood admissions has been eliminated.
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November 12, 2026, 11:23 IST
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