How One IAS Officer Strengthened the Right to Education

**RANCHI, India** — IAS officer Manjunath Bhajantari has introduced systemic reforms to strengthen the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, addressing gaps that previously prevented eligible children from securing private school admissions.

While the RTE Act guarantees children the legal right to study in private schools, numerous families previously missed out due to implementation flaws. To address this, Bhajantari instituted a series of administrative measures aimed at making the admissions framework fair, transparent, and accessible.

His key interventions included:
* **Digitisation of Admissions:** Moving the admission process online to streamline applications and oversight.
* **Public Lotteries:** Implementing public lottery systems to ensure equitable allocation of seats.
* **Enforcement of Compliance:** Requiring elite private schools to comply with RTE mandates.
* **Fee Regulation:** Taking action against illegal fee hikes by private institutions to protect families and widen access to quality education.

The initiatives highlight an administrative focus on enforcing existing legislative rights to ensure they reach intended beneficiaries.

Article and image source: thebetterindia.com